Sacramento gave a homeless camp a lease as an experiment. Here’s what happened

BY MARISA KENDALL | CALMATTERS (CALMATTERS) – When Sacramento changed its plan to demolish a homeless encampment on a vacant lot on Colfax Street, instead offering the homeless occupants a lease, activists and camp residents celebrated it as a win. The first-of-its-kind deal, which allows the camp to remain in place and govern itself without city interference, was held up as a model Sacramento could replicate at future sites. Other cities, including San Jose, have said they’re considering similar models, putting the success or failure of this encampment under the microscope.& A year later, Sacramento has not managed to reproduce the concept and has no plans to. Residents of the camp, who lack electricity or running water, complain they feel forgotten. And the county district attorney, claiming the site threatens public safety, has demanded the city clear the camp or risk prosecution.& Those troubles highlight the logistical and ethical dilemmas that come with setting aside outdoor spaces for homeless residents to go when there& aren’t enough beds indoors. And it comes at a time when officials across the state increasingly are turning to this last-ditch solution as they face& mounting pressure to clear encampments& away from sidewalks, parks, schools and...