Settlement reached in homeless civil rights lawsuit

The City of San Bernardino has agreed to create a new citywide policy that will protect the rights of unhoused people’s personal property as part of a settlement resolving a lawsuit against the city.

The new policy will prohibit the destruction of unhoused people’s personal property and ensure the city provides reasonable accommodations to unhoused people with disabilities. San Bernardino has agreed it will not displace people while performing cleanup of public spaces unless they offer non-congregate interim housing options like hotels, unless there is a public health or safety rationale for the move.

In August 2023, unhoused community members and a mutual aid organization filed suit demanding that San Bernardino respect the rights of unsheltered people with disabilities and cease the destruction of unhoused people’s property. The lawsuit alleged San Bernardino destroyed many unhoused people’s medicine, vital documents, medical equipment, tents, clothing, food, blankets, IDs, and more.

Per the agreement, San Bernardino will also designate an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator to ensure compliance with disability protections during cleanups invest $600,000 into new city houselessness programs.

Read the full settlement at https://www.aclusocal.org/sites/default/files/tyson-resolution-agreement.pdf.