Moratorium on Municipal Sweeps and Expansion of Safe Storage Initiatives

As Doorway, representing the Unhoused People TONDO constituency, my primary mandate is to advocate for policies that directly secure the dignity, safety, and stability of those without permanent housing. Sweeps of encampments criminalize poverty, destroy vital survival gear, documents, and personal belongings, and further destabilize individuals already facing acute trauma. While some community members argue that sweeps are necessary for sanitation and public space management, punitive measures fail to solve the underlying housing crisis and only scatter vulnerable populations into more hazardous environments. True public health and order are achieved through supportive outreach, sanitation services on-site, and guaranteed pathways to stable housing rather than displacement.