Sacramento advocates in dispute with major real estate company over homeless aid events
Homeless advocates defied a prominent real estate company on Saturday by promising to continue their weekly food distributions and church services in a North Sacramento parking lot.
The dispute began in late December after Ethan Conrad Properties requested that Karina Garcia, one of its leaseholders, stop the community distribution events held at the property. Garcia, in collaboration with other organizations in Sacramento, began these events in early November at 2110 Del Paso Blvd. in Old North Sacramento.
The weekly services welcome dozens of homeless people and are extensive — from food and clothing for animals to photography and vaccine shots. Every Saturday begins the same, with a prayer led by the volunteers from Lifting Spirits Higher, a local grassroots organization.
“Jesus depended on the kindness of others,” Azariah Smith, a minister for Lifting Spirits Higher, told the crowd Saturday. “Jesus can personally identify with the situation, circumstances in which you are in.”
Ethan Conrad Properties has argued the gatherings have led to concerns from surrounding businesses owners and that Garcia is breaking the terms of her lease agreement. The company is not against the events, but they must be done in a “controlled manner” to not negatively affect other tenants or the neighborhood, said Ross Tolbert, executive vice president of property management at Ethan Conrad Properties.
Tolbert added that Garcia has been unwilling to meet and the company “would love to come to a resolution.”
“There’s more homeless around this building than there ever has been, and it’s tied to an event that’s drawing people to the building,” Tolbert said. “We have tried to reach out to this tenant. We’ve tried to meet them and to resolve this issue.”
Advocates and faith leaders remained defiant Saturday and vowed to not stop the distribution events. They say the distributions provide necessary resources to a marginalized and neglected community.
“We will not be deterred by these attacks,” said Crystal Sanchez, president of the Sacramento Homeless Union. “Instead, we will strengthen our bonds and our commitments to helping those in need, our sisters and brothers.”
‘We are for everybody’
Garcia welcomed Lifting Spirits Higher to her location during the first Saturday of November. The group has offered food, donations and faith services at different locations across Sacramento for about 15 years, said founder Kathryn Baldwin.
Baldwin said their previous location of nearly five years was no longer usable due to new housing being built. Garcia called up Baldwin and immediately offered the parking lot.
“We never had to stop serving,” Baldwin said.
The first request to stop these weekly feedings and church services came Dec. 31., according to emails shared by Garica.
Tracy Kelly, a senior property manager for Ethan Conrad Properties, wrote that the company was contacted by the neighborhood association and “they respectfully asked that this service be stopped.”
“The surrounding businesses have experienced increased loitering, trash dumping, and break-ins and they feel it is a direct result of the service in our parking lot,” Kelly wrote. “If this is something your group has been doing, I have to ask that you stop immediately. Unfortunately it is adversely affecting the surrounding neighborhood.”
Kelly followed up with another email a few hours later.
“Details were forwarded to us that confirm the food/clothing distribution is sponsored by your group — please stop these gatherings at the Del Paso location immediately,” she added.
Further emails from Kelly told Garcia that she was not following the terms of her lease agreement and security would need to be hired to stop the group from setting up the event. The security would be billed to Garcia at a cost of $140 per Saturday, Kelly added on Jan. 15.
Garcia said the security has only been seen one Saturday since that email, though she continues to receive the billing.
She responded to emails from Ethan Conrad Properties on Friday in a letter that said the increase in crime and homelessness should not be attributed to the events. Garcia also called the request to stop the distributions “a violation of our first amendment rights.”
On Saturday, Garcia argued that her business — The Bride’s Chamber — has been serving the homeless community for years. She began renting at the Conrad property more than two years ago, offering food and an area to watch faith services on the weekends.
She remained committed to continue doing this work, referencing the belief that Jesus was once homeless.
“They did this to Jesus and you don’t need to be a Christian to get our services,” Garcia said. “You could be a Muslim. You could be a Jewish person. You could be an atheist. We are for everybody.”
