In a move that’s about as compassionate as a tech bro’s gentrification plan, the Ukiah City Council just gave the green light to an ordinance that basically says “homeless folks, you’re not welcome here” - without even guaranteeing a safe place to sleep.

The Supreme Court Enters the Chat

Following a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that basically declared it’s totally cool to criminalize homelessness, Ukiah’s decided to jump on the “push them out” bandwagon. The new ordinance removes the requirement that shelter beds must be available before clearing encampments, which sounds suspiciously like a “not my problem” approach to a complex humanitarian crisis.

Who Pays the Real Price?

Local voices like Megan Wolf from the Mendo Social Justice Bulletin Board are calling out the potential consequences. Her message is crystal clear: this ordinance isn’t just bureaucratic paperwork, it’s a potential fast-track to incarceration for people with nowhere else to go.

A ‘Human Right’ That Isn’t

Councilmember Heather Criss acknowledges housing should be a human right, but admits we’re nowhere near that reality. Meanwhile, the city’s “solution” looks more like sweeping people under the rug than actually addressing systemic poverty and housing insecurity.

The next City Council meeting is October 15th - because apparently, discussing human dignity is just another agenda item.