Our History

Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee (SHOC) was formed by advocates, service providers and formerly homeless and low-income individuals in 1987 and merged with Sacramento Housing Alliance (SHA) in 1991. During the early years there was much activity with protests and demonstration camp-outs, in response to instances of police crackdowns and the City of Sacramento’s adoption of a new anti-camping ordinance. We helped to organize a legal challenge to that ordinance which was struck down as unconstitutional by the appellate court. But the City enacted a new anti camping ordinance.

• We started a street newspaper, Homeward Street Journal in 1997. Homeward Street Journal attracted the participation of many homeless people who became new members and leaders of the organization. We began a vendor program in 2002. With the help of an attorney and some brave vendors, we have opened up a district for selling Homeward where previously 1st Amendment Rights were being denied.
• In February of 2000 we started the River Cleanup Project. We adopted a mile of the American River Parkway as volunteer land stewards for several years.
• SHOC helped form the California Homeless Civil Right Organizing Project, a coalition of homeless advocacy organizations from throughout California. We organized the End the Sleeping Ban in California Campaign in 2002, including a walk from San Diego, rally and sleep over on the Capitol grounds. In 2004 we served as convenors for a homeless peoples civil rights workshop at a Housing California Conference that featured a panel of CHCROP members from throughout Northern California. It received high evaluations.
• In 2001 we formed a Tent City Committee to organize for a tent city that would provide a safe place for homeless people to sleep. After many months of applying for permits and meetings with officials, we attempted establishing the tent city by direct action.
• With our civil rights work we have collected incident reports from people experiencing civil rights abuses and have worked with attorneys on several cases and a class action suit (Strip search lawsuit). We have helped many people regain their possessions that were taken by police or rangers and helped them to file claims against the City. In August 2007, we helped instigate and joined a lawsuit to protect homeless civil rights. We have participated in Voter Registration Weeks by helping people that are homeless and people in transitional housing register to vote and we distributed voter information and mail.
• With Sacramento Housing Alliance’s leadership we advocated for two years for a county inclusionary ordinance that requires housing developers to build 15% of their housing for low, very low and extremely low income households. The County adopted the ordinance, becoming the first in the nation to include extremely low income in an inclusionary ordinance.
• In February 2008 we began the Homeless Leadership Project to encourage leadership roles for homeless individuals.
• December 23, 2008, marked the opening event of the Safe Ground Campaign, with a march and rally at Cesar Chavez Park. We worked in coalition with many other organizations on the march an rally and have continued the campaign with Loaves & Fishes and Francis House. SHOC's Homeless Leadership Project coined the phrase "Safe Ground" and were original planners of the march and rally.
Over the years we have worked in coalition and cooperation with many groups and individuals and have gained important allies in our fight for homeless rights and housing.