Afordable Hosing Advocates Rally at McClellan AFB

MARCHING TO SOLUTIONS

McClellan housing would help greatly to alleviate Sacramento County's homeless problem.

Drawing attention to the housing crisis, more than 70 demonstrators marched at the former McClellan Air Force Base to draw attention to the dispute over the property for affordable housing.

This public action was delayed as long as possible to give the County a chance for constructive action. But, thus far, the County has not responded to alternative proposals, mediation requests, or even informational inquiries. This action hoped to persuade the County to fulfill its promise to utilize facilities at McClellan Air Force Base (including McClellan Inn) to alleviate homelessness in Sacramento County.

Arlene Krause, Executive Director of the Sacramento Housing Alliance, the organization spear-heading the march, called on the County to address the needs of the growing homeless population in Sacramento by providing housing at McClellan.

"I read in the paper today that rents are over $800 a month in Sacramento. Who here can afford that?" she said. The rally participates overwhelmingly responded in the negative.

Sacramento County has thus far refused to release the available housing at McClellan AFB which they commited to providing at the beginning of this base conversion, claiming that they have fulfilled their legal obligation by providing 1% of their surplus land to homeless assistance.

According to the McKinny Act, a Federal Law on military base conversion, the needs of the homeless are to be balanced with economic development when planning for reuse of closed military bases.

Across the nation, government cutbacks on construction, maintenance, and subsidies for low-income housing, combined with the booming economy's overheated real-estate market, have created what many experts are calling an affordable housing crisis. And now, Sacramento County finds itself on the defensive in an escalating battle for property for homeless assistance. In this county alone, Sacramento has lost 1,871 units of affordable housing, not including the 118 unit hotel promised in the base conversion process. In 2000, the number of homeless women was up by 15% from the previous year, and the number of homeless children was up 33%, causing a substantial increase in the number of women and children now living on the streets.

Cutbacks in subsidized housing and the strong economy have also created a housing squeeze here over the past year. Rents in Sacramento rose 12% from last year - the average rent climbed $83 to a record $770 per month. How is a poor or homeless individual or family supposed to provide themselves with shelter in a society with such high rent? Along with food, shelter is perhaps the most basic human need.