The City of Sausalito has reached a settlement with local homeless advocates who sued the city on behalf of unhoused residents sheltering at Marinship Park after the passage of anti-camping ordinance.
The Sausalito Homeless Union (SHU) agreed to drop its legal action last week. In return, the city will establish an $18,000 fund to be administered by SHU and distributed among current and former residents of the encampment. The funds will be used for authorized housing expenses.
“I am confident we have paved a humane course of action that allows each person’s unique needs to be met,” said Mayor Janelle Kellman. “This agreement will allow us to help folks restore their lives in a way that is far more compassionate and safer than the unfortunate circumstance of living outdoors.”
“The agreement is an innovative way to get people out of tents and into housing in advance of inclement weather,” added City Manager Chris Zapata. “It’s the right thing to do.”
A city coordinator will work with SHU to connect individuals with housing services. Once the residents obtain housing, the encampment can be cleared.
SHU filed the original lawsuit in February 2021, days after the adoption of a restrictive anti-camping policy. As a result of the ordinance, unhoused residents were moved from the waterfront Dunphy Park to a specific area of Marinship. The policy caused substantial harm to the unhoused residents, according to the lawsuit, and deprived them of their due process rights.