Latest news with #RajSalwan
CBS News
11-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Homeless advocates sue Fremont over strict anti-camping ordinance
A coalition of homeless activists is suing the city of Fremont over its recently enacted anti-camping ordinance, which critics say criminalizes homelessness and charitable outreach to the unhoused. The ordinance was approved by a 6-1 vote of the Fremont City Council in February and aims to give the city broad powers to deal with homeless encampments on public and private property. The new rules specify a jail term of no more than six months and a fine of up to $1,000 for people convicted of camping on sidewalks, streets and parks in Fremont or of aiding, abetting or concealing such behavior. It also prohibits camping on most private property for longer than 72 hours and the storing of personal belongings on public property. And while the council seems poised to remove the "aiding and abetting" language from the ordinance at its March 18 meeting—following widespread concerns that it criminalizes helping homeless people—advocates claim such a move would be ineffective because similar language appears in a different section of Fremont's municipal code. "If the city makes anything unlawful, it also makes aiding and abetting that behavior unlawful," said Anthony Prince, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, the California Homeless Union. "They're trying to minimize its significance and it's illusory at best and fraudulent at worst for the city to be falsely misleading the charitable community and supporters of the unhoused into thinking they're okay." The suit was filed last Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. It alleges the ordinance violates the First, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the Religious Land Use and the Institutionalized Persons Act, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the California Constitution and the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also likens the way the ordinance treats homeless people to the way runaway slaves were pursued and persecuted in the United States. "Two hundred years ago, by fleeing bondage, the runaway slaves "stole" themselves from their owners, and became, by definition, criminals," the suit claims. "Today, it is the homeless resident of Fremont who has become the criminal, 'fleeing' from the cold of winter and extreme heat of summer that takes the lives of thousands of the unsheltered every year; 'fleeing' the dangers of the unprotected streets and seeking refuge in a tent, car or under a freeway overpass; fleeing hunger and want by taking the outstretched helping hands of the concerned and the compassionate who, under this unconscionable enactment, have also been pushed into the ranks of the hunted and the criminal." Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said Monday the city can't comment on pending litigation but noted it "has agreed to stay enforcement of the Camping Ordinance until the City Council considers an amendment on March 18th." In addition to pursuing the lawsuit, Prince said his organization and local allies plan to present city officials with a letter demanding they suspend enforcement of the ordinance and meet with advocates and people from the homeless community to talk about the main issues involved, including health and safety goals.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bionova Opens Fremont Process Development and Pilot Plant
FREMONT, Calif., March 04, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bionova Scientific, an Asahi Kasei company and boutique commercial-scale biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has announced the opening of a new facility in Fremont, California. The 55,000 sq. ft. process development and pilot plant will significantly expand the company's ability to advance early-stage biologics assets to first-in-human trials and facilitate the future expansion of its manufacturing capacity. Bionova hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by approximately 150 industry and community leaders to mark the occasion. Darren Head, Chairman & President; Jesse McCool, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer; and James Glover II, Chief Operating Officer, were joined by The Honorable Raj Salwan, Mayor of the City of Fremont. Representatives were also in attendance from the Office of Congressman Ro Khanna and Congressman Eric Swallwell; the Office of State Senator Dr. Aisha Wahab; the Office of the Alameda County Assessor Phong La; and Cindy Bonior, CEO of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce. "Many of our customers are early-stage biopharmaceutical innovators who need agile partners who can quickly provide process development and reliable manufacturing operations that are scaleable, without the need to tech transfer to another CDMO as their programs mature," commented Darren Head, Chairman & President of Bionova. "This new facility enhances our capacity to serve early-stage clients while also providing overflow capacity for our larger biopharma customers." At the event, Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan commented, "Fremont has long been a leader in biopharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing. Being home to over 100 biomedical companies, Fremont has adopted the industry slogan of being the City where BioMed goes to scale. Having operated its entire existence in Fremont, Bionova is unique in being a 100% homegrown success story, and their growth has been remarkable. Fremont wholeheartedly congratulates Bionova on their new facility and expansion in our community and looks forward to our continued partnership for many years to come." Widely known as "Biotech Bay," the biopharma industry in the San Francisco Bay Area is considered one of the largest in the United States, generating more than $142 billion in economic activity and over 328,000 direct and indirect jobs. The region represents a substantial portion of U.S. biotech venture capital investment, positioning Bionova to help local innovators advance their assets to the clinic efficiently and cost-effectively. "Bionova's team of bioprocess experts has proven itself as a valuable partner for clients seeking to overcome challenging CMC issues, especially with complex modalities," said Michelle Chen, Senior Vice President for Process Development and Manufacturing at Bionova. "With this new facility, all of our pre-GMP activities are co-located and integrated under one roof. We already see meaningful technical and efficiency gains as our PD teams can facilitate seamless technology transfer by scaling and training simultaneously." Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) commented, "Congratulations to Bionova Scientific on the opening of its new process development facility. Bionova is a native son of my hometown of Fremont and is now positioned to help biopharma drug makers move their innovations from early-stage compounds to commercial, life-saving drugs, including potential new cancer treatments." To learn more about Bionova, visit About Bionova Scientific Bionova Scientific partners with innovators in the biologic industry to bring life-changing therapies to market. Founded in 2014 and acquired by Asahi Kasei Group in 2022, Bionova Scientific offers customers access to superior tools and technologies and an unwavering commitment to quality delivered with scientific excellence across the entire lifecycle. Bionova offers integrated CDMO services that span cell line development, process development to the cGMP manufacturing of complex proteins and antibodies. Our experienced Bay Area scientists bring proven expertise to overcoming discovery to first-in-human development challenges and scale-up. Bionova is a flexible and collaborative partner that has worked with leading biotechnology innovators from its new state-of-the-art facility in the San Francisco Bay Area. About Asahi Kasei The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber businesses, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 49,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to a sustainable society by providing solutions to the world's challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care. Its health care operations include devices and systems for acute critical care, dialysis, therapeutic apheresis, and manufacture of biotherapeutics, as well as pharmaceuticals and diagnostic reagents. For more information, visit and View source version on Contacts Bionova Scientific: Chris Halling (Orientation Marketing)+44 (0)7580 Asahi Kasei North America: Asahi Kasei America Asahi Kasei Europe: Asahi Kasei Europe GmbHSebastian
CNN
13-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
California city criminalizes ‘aiding' and ‘abetting' homeless camps
A California city voted to criminalize 'aiding' and 'abetting' homeless camps Tuesday — an unusual move that advocates say could stifle help for people who need it. In addition to making it illegal to camp on public property, the policy that the Fremont City Council voted 6-1 to adopt also makes it a misdemeanor for residents to aid or abet encampments in a city with about 600 unhoused people. Those who violate the policy, which takes effect in 30 days, could be subject to penalties of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. What's unclear, however, is exactly what falls under the 'aiding' and 'abetting' umbrella, with experts saying it could criminalize any humanitarian aid to unhoused people —including by service providers, churches distributing food and street medicine teams. 'The language is broad and vague,' said Andrea Henson, executive director and legal counsel at Berkeley non-profit Where Do We Go. 'It can apply to handing out sleeping bags or to social workers. It can also apply to all non-profits, legal organizations or churches that help the homeless with their survival on the streets. A person who lets a friend camp on their own private property can be cited or arrested.' Outreach workers may have to make a choice between potentially keeping someone alive on a cold night by providing them with a tent, or staying out of legal trouble themselves, said Vivian Wan, CEO of Abode Services, a Fremont organization that assists unhoused people. Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said the ordinance in the fourth most populous city in the Bay Area is a 'common sense' protection for neighborhoods, and that encampments are a barrier to homeless people getting the help they need. 'The main question is how do we balance compassion with accountability,' Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said at Tuesday's meeting. 'Everybody should feel safe walking to your library, to your local park, to your public places.' The new policy comes about seven months after the Supreme Court ruled that banning camping on public property does not constitute 'cruel and unusual punishment.' Since the City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson decision, over 150 cities across the US have passed laws banning homeless people from sleeping in public places – even when there is no shelter or housing available, according to the National Homelessness Law Center. Of those cities, 45 are in California. A month after the Grants Pass ruling, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to sweep and remove homeless encampments. Cities and counties across the state followed suit, increasing sweeps of camps and instituting 'anti-camping' ordinances. But this is the first such ordinance that criminalizes 'aiding' and 'abetting' homeless people, experts say. 'While we can't say for sure if the Fremont law resulted from the Grants Pass ruling, it applies the same backwards, ineffective and harmful approach inherent in these laws,' said Jesse Rabinowitz, campaign and communications director at the National Homelessness Law Center. 'None of these things will solve homelessness.' City and state officials are uncertain how to respond to a surge in homelessness and encampments that have cropped up under bridges and in city parks across the nation. People who live in those encampments and advocacy groups, meanwhile, say they are alarmed by efforts to criminalize the population rather than build shelters and affordable housing. California was the state with the highest number of people experiencing homelessness in 2024, with more than 187,000 people, according to estimates by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. That's more than double the national rate of 23 people experiencing homelessness per 10,000. Between 2023 and 2024, California's homeless population grew by more than 5,600 people. In Alameda County, there were about 6,300 homeless individuals as of 2024. Nationwide, more than 771,000 Americans experienced homelessness on any given night in January 2024 – the largest number since data collection began and an increase of 19% since 2007, according to the department. Fremont's ordinance prohibits 'causing, permitting, aiding, abetting or concealing' encampments 'in or upon any public property,' including any street, sidewalk, park or waterway. It also makes it unlawful for anyone to store personal property on any public property. 'As written, the proposed law is patently unreasonable and will expose the City to legal liability,' a group of 20 organizations wrote in a letter to the city last week. 'It does not specify what types of conduct qualify as 'aiding,' 'permitting,' or 'abetting.'' Fremont City Attorney Rafael Alvarado said the law would not apply to those providing food or clothing to homeless people. 'There would be no basis to pursue criminal enforcement of someone that hands someone else food or clothing under the terms of this ordinance,' Alvarado said at Tuesday's city council meeting. John Do, a senior attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, said that while ordinances like anti-camping and property restrictions have proliferated, this is the first that criminalizes aiding and abetting. 'This is the first with this specific language,' Rabinowitz told CNN. Fremont officials, however, dispute that the ordinance is unique to the city. 'The general prohibition against aiding and abetting violations of municipal code ordinances is relatively common language shared by other California cities,' the city said in a document about the anti-camping law, adding that it 'was not developed specifically for camping ordinance violations nor would it apply uniquely to such violations.' CNN has reached out to the Fremont City Attorney's Office and the mayor for comment. Proponents of the law say it will help keep Fremont residents safe. 'Repeatedly dealing with some of these individuals can unnecessarily place firefighters and police officers in harms way,' the Fremont Police Association said before Tuesday's vote. 'The passage of this ordinance allows the public safety experts to appropriately address public safety issues while still [providing] resources to our unhoused community members.' But the law's application could be unconstitutional, having a 'chilling effect' on those who may not want to risk punishment or who have prior offenses, Henson told CNN. 'Police will have broad discretion to enforce and this can cause a chilling effect on those who assist the unhoused due to fear of punishment,' she said. Most organizations that provide homeless people with material support are non-profits run by volunteers and funded by private donations, Henson said. If they're unable to provide that assistance because of the ordinance, unhoused people will only be isolated further and efforts to reduce homelessness will be stifled, she explained. 'This ordinance sends a strong message of how the City of Fremont is seeking to segregate the unhoused even further to isolate them from service providers and volunteers,' Henson said. 'Individuals will be colder and more likely to suffer in unspeakable ways because local governments are taking away all the necessary tools for survival.' Even if outreach workers are not penalized for providing basic services and supplies like food, blankets and clothes, they are still concerned they could be cited, fined or even arrested if they provide tents, as they often do during cold and wet spells, said Wan, CEO of Abode Services. Despite the city attorney's assurances that outreach staff will not be impacted, Abode is seeking guidance from an attorney to help craft an agreement to propose to the city to ensure that its staff are not subject to this ordinance, Wan said. It would also clarify whether their clients' information will remain confidential and whether supporting people with tents is allowed 'as the language in the ordinance does seem extremely broad,' she said. Restricting outreach could lead to worse health, housing and economic outcomes — while increasing costs to cities in policing and emergency services, Housing California Executive Director Chione Flegal said. 'The mere threat of penalties can deter individuals and organizations from providing essential aid, leaving more people without access to the support they need to survive,' Flegal said. More cities could be empowered by Fremont's ordinance to pursue similar policies, homelessness experts say. 'Cites are going for the quick fix, which is an illusion,' Henson said. It's part of a growing trend 'of limiting advocates' ability to support unhoused neighbors and monitor a city's enforcement practices,' Do said. That includes an increasing number of jurisdictions prohibiting activities like panhandling or providing food to people, he said. 'Targeting people who offer aid to those in need does nothing to solve homelessness,' Do said. Henson said her organization is prepared to file a lawsuit against the city if the law violates the rights of the unhoused or those who help them, she said. 'Right now, if you are unhoused your entire existence is illegal and in the City of Fremont you are also engaged in unlawful behavior if you seek to protect someone from the cold, feed them, help them with an accessible structure, or store their personal belongings,' she said. Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified Housing California Executive Director Chione Flegal.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California city criminalizes ‘aiding' and ‘abetting' homeless camps
A California city voted to criminalize 'aiding' and 'abetting' homeless camps Tuesday — an unusual move that advocates say could stifle help for people who need it. In addition to making it illegal to camp on public property, the policy that the Fremont City Council voted 6-1 to adopt also makes it a misdemeanor for residents to aid or abet encampments in a city with about 600 unhoused people. Those who violate the policy, which takes effect in 30 days, could be subject to penalties of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. What's unclear, however, is exactly what falls under the 'aiding' and 'abetting' umbrella, with experts saying it could criminalize any humanitarian aid to unhoused people —including by service providers, churches distributing food and street medicine teams. 'The language is broad and vague,' said Andrea Henson, executive director and legal counsel at Berkeley non-profit Where Do We Go. 'It can apply to handing out sleeping bags or to social workers. It can also apply to all non-profits, legal organizations or churches that help the homeless with their survival on the streets. A person who lets a friend camp on their own private property can be cited or arrested.' Outreach workers may have to make a choice between potentially keeping someone alive on a cold night by providing them with a tent, or staying out of legal trouble themselves, said Vivian Wan, CEO of Abode Services, a Fremont organization that assists unhoused people. Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said the ordinance in the fourth most populous city in the Bay Area is a 'common sense' protection for neighborhoods, and that encampments are a barrier to homeless people getting the help they need. 'The main question is how do we balance compassion with accountability,' Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said at Tuesday's meeting. 'Everybody should feel safe walking to your library, to your local park, to your public places.' The new policy comes about seven months after the Supreme Court ruled that banning camping on public property does not constitute 'cruel and unusual punishment.' Since the City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson decision, over 150 cities across the US have passed laws banning homeless people from sleeping in public places – even when there is no shelter or housing available, according to the National Homelessness Law Center. Of those cities, 45 are in California. A month after the Grants Pass ruling, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to sweep and remove homeless encampments. Cities and counties across the state followed suit, increasing sweeps of camps and instituting 'anti-camping' ordinances. But this is the first such ordinance that criminalizes 'aiding' and 'abetting' homeless people, experts say. 'While we can't say for sure if the Fremont law resulted from the Grants Pass ruling, it applies the same backwards, ineffective and harmful approach inherent in these laws,' said Jesse Rabinowitz, campaign and communications director at the National Homelessness Law Center. 'None of these things will solve homelessness.' City and state officials are uncertain how to respond to a surge in homelessness and encampments that have cropped up under bridges and in city parks across the nation. People who live in those encampments and advocacy groups, meanwhile, say they are alarmed by efforts to criminalize the population rather than build shelters and affordable housing. California was the state with the highest number of people experiencing homelessness in 2024, with more than 187,000 people, according to estimates by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. That's more than double the national rate of 23 people experiencing homelessness per 10,000. Between 2023 and 2024, California's homeless population grew by more than 5,600 people. In Alameda County, there were about 6,300 homeless individuals as of 2024. Nationwide, more than 771,000 Americans experienced homelessness on any given night in January 2024 – the largest number since data collection began and an increase of 19% since 2007, according to the department. Fremont's ordinance prohibits 'causing, permitting, aiding, abetting or concealing' encampments 'in or upon any public property,' including any street, sidewalk, park or waterway. It also makes it unlawful for anyone to store personal property on any public property. 'As written, the proposed law is patently unreasonable and will expose the City to legal liability,' a group of 20 organizations wrote in a letter to the city last week. 'It does not specify what types of conduct qualify as 'aiding,' 'permitting,' or 'abetting.'' Fremont City Attorney Rafael Alvarado said the law would not apply to those providing food or clothing to homeless people. 'There would be no basis to pursue criminal enforcement of someone that hands someone else food or clothing under the terms of this ordinance,' Alvarado said at Tuesday's city council meeting. John Do, a senior attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, said that while ordinances like anti-camping and property restrictions have proliferated, this is the first that criminalizes aiding and abetting. 'This is the first with this specific language,' Rabinowitz told CNN. Fremont officials, however, dispute that the ordinance is unique to the city. 'The general prohibition against aiding and abetting violations of municipal code ordinances is relatively common language shared by other California cities,' the city said in a document about the anti-camping law, adding that it 'was not developed specifically for camping ordinance violations nor would it apply uniquely to such violations.' CNN has reached out to the Fremont City Attorney's Office and the mayor for comment. Proponents of the law say it will help keep Fremont residents safe. 'Repeatedly dealing with some of these individuals can unnecessarily place firefighters and police officers in harms way,' the Fremont Police Association said before Tuesday's vote. 'The passage of this ordinance allows the public safety experts to appropriately address public safety issues while still [providing] resources to our unhoused community members.' But the law's application could be unconstitutional, having a 'chilling effect' on those who may not want to risk punishment or who have prior offenses, Henson told CNN. 'Police will have broad discretion to enforce and this can cause a chilling effect on those who assist the unhoused due to fear of punishment,' she said. Most organizations that provide homeless people with material support are non-profits run by volunteers and funded by private donations, Henson said. If they're unable to provide that assistance because of the ordinance, unhoused people will only be isolated further and efforts to reduce homelessness will be stifled, she explained. 'This ordinance sends a strong message of how the City of Fremont is seeking to segregate the unhoused even further to isolate them from service providers and volunteers,' Henson said. 'Individuals will be colder and more likely to suffer in unspeakable ways because local governments are taking away all the necessary tools for survival.' Even if outreach workers are not penalized for providing basic services and supplies like food, blankets and clothes, they are still concerned they could be cited, fined or even arrested if they provide tents, as they often do during cold and wet spells, said Wan, CEO of Abode Services. Despite the city attorney's assurances that outreach staff will not be impacted, Abode is seeking guidance from an attorney to help craft an agreement to propose to the city to ensure that its staff are not subject to this ordinance, Wan said. It would also clarify whether their clients' information will remain confidential and whether supporting people with tents is allowed 'as the language in the ordinance does seem extremely broad,' she said. Restricting outreach could lead to worse health, housing and economic outcomes — while increasing costs to cities in policing and emergency services, Housing California communications director Alex Brown said. 'The mere threat of penalties can deter individuals and organizations from providing essential aid, leaving more people without access to the support they need to survive,' Brown said. More cities could be empowered by Fremont's ordinance to pursue similar policies, homelessness experts say. 'Cites are going for the quick fix, which is an illusion,' Henson said. It's part of a growing trend 'of limiting advocates' ability to support unhoused neighbors and monitor a city's enforcement practices,' Do said. That includes an increasing number of jurisdictions prohibiting activities like panhandling or providing food to people, he said. 'Targeting people who offer aid to those in need does nothing to solve homelessness,' Do said. Henson said her organization is prepared to file a lawsuit against the city if the law violates the rights of the unhoused or those who help them, she said. 'Right now, if you are unhoused your entire existence is illegal and in the City of Fremont you are also engaged in unlawful behavior if you seek to protect someone from the cold, feed them, help them with an accessible structure, or store their personal belongings,' she said.
CNN
13-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
California city criminalizes ‘aiding' and ‘abetting' homeless camps
A California city voted to criminalize 'aiding' and 'abetting' homeless camps Tuesday — an unusual move that advocates say could stifle help for people who need it. In addition to making it illegal to camp on public property, the policy that the Fremont City Council voted 6-1 to adopt also makes it a misdemeanor for residents to aid or abet encampments in a city with about 600 unhoused people. Those who violate the policy, which takes effect in 30 days, could be subject to penalties of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. What's unclear, however, is exactly what falls under the 'aiding' and 'abetting' umbrella, with experts saying it could criminalize any humanitarian aid to unhoused people —including by service providers, churches distributing food and street medicine teams. 'The language is broad and vague,' said Andrea Henson, executive director and legal counsel at Berkeley non-profit Where Do We Go. 'It can apply to handing out sleeping bags or to social workers. It can also apply to all non-profits, legal organizations or churches that help the homeless with their survival on the streets. A person who lets a friend camp on their own private property can be cited or arrested.' Outreach workers may have to make a choice between potentially keeping someone alive on a cold night by providing them with a tent, or staying out of legal trouble themselves, said Vivian Wan, CEO of Abode Services, a Fremont organization that assists unhoused people. Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said the ordinance in the fourth most populous city in the Bay Area is a 'common sense' protection for neighborhoods, and that encampments are a barrier to homeless people getting the help they need. 'The main question is how do we balance compassion with accountability,' Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said at Tuesday's meeting. 'Everybody should feel safe walking to your library, to your local park, to your public places.' The new policy comes about seven months after the Supreme Court ruled that banning camping on public property does not constitute 'cruel and unusual punishment.' Since the City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson decision, over 150 cities across the US have passed laws banning homeless people from sleeping in public places – even when there is no shelter or housing available, according to the National Homelessness Law Center. Of those cities, 45 are in California. A month after the Grants Pass ruling, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to sweep and remove homeless encampments. Cities and counties across the state followed suit, increasing sweeps of camps and instituting 'anti-camping' ordinances. But this is the first such ordinance that criminalizes 'aiding' and 'abetting' homeless people, experts say. 'While we can't say for sure if the Fremont law resulted from the Grants Pass ruling, it applies the same backwards, ineffective and harmful approach inherent in these laws,' said Jesse Rabinowitz, campaign and communications director at the National Homelessness Law Center. 'None of these things will solve homelessness.' City and state officials are uncertain how to respond to a surge in homelessness and encampments that have cropped up under bridges and in city parks across the nation. People who live in those encampments and advocacy groups, meanwhile, say they are alarmed by efforts to criminalize the population rather than build shelters and affordable housing. California was the state with the highest number of people experiencing homelessness in 2024, with more than 187,000 people, according to estimates by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. That's more than double the national rate of 23 people experiencing homelessness per 10,000. Between 2023 and 2024, California's homeless population grew by more than 5,600 people. In Alameda County, there were about 6,300 homeless individuals as of 2024. Nationwide, more than 771,000 Americans experienced homelessness on any given night in January 2024 – the largest number since data collection began and an increase of 19% since 2007, according to the department. Fremont's ordinance prohibits 'causing, permitting, aiding, abetting or concealing' encampments 'in or upon any public property,' including any street, sidewalk, park or waterway. It also makes it unlawful for anyone to store personal property on any public property. 'As written, the proposed law is patently unreasonable and will expose the City to legal liability,' a group of 20 organizations wrote in a letter to the city last week. 'It does not specify what types of conduct qualify as 'aiding,' 'permitting,' or 'abetting.'' Fremont City Attorney Rafael Alvarado said the law would not apply to those providing food or clothing to homeless people. 'There would be no basis to pursue criminal enforcement of someone that hands someone else food or clothing under the terms of this ordinance,' Alvarado said at Tuesday's city council meeting. John Do, a senior attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, said that while ordinances like anti-camping and property restrictions have proliferated, this is the first that criminalizes aiding and abetting. 'This is the first with this specific language,' Rabinowitz told CNN. Fremont officials, however, dispute that the ordinance is unique to the city. 'The general prohibition against aiding and abetting violations of municipal code ordinances is relatively common language shared by other California cities,' the city said in a document about the anti-camping law, adding that it 'was not developed specifically for camping ordinance violations nor would it apply uniquely to such violations.' CNN has reached out to the Fremont City Attorney's Office and the mayor for comment. Proponents of the law say it will help keep Fremont residents safe. 'Repeatedly dealing with some of these individuals can unnecessarily place firefighters and police officers in harms way,' the Fremont Police Association said before Tuesday's vote. 'The passage of this ordinance allows the public safety experts to appropriately address public safety issues while still [providing] resources to our unhoused community members.' But the law's application could be unconstitutional, having a 'chilling effect' on those who may not want to risk punishment or who have prior offenses, Henson told CNN. 'Police will have broad discretion to enforce and this can cause a chilling effect on those who assist the unhoused due to fear of punishment,' she said. Most organizations that provide homeless people with material support are non-profits run by volunteers and funded by private donations, Henson said. If they're unable to provide that assistance because of the ordinance, unhoused people will only be isolated further and efforts to reduce homelessness will be stifled, she explained. 'This ordinance sends a strong message of how the City of Fremont is seeking to segregate the unhoused even further to isolate them from service providers and volunteers,' Henson said. 'Individuals will be colder and more likely to suffer in unspeakable ways because local governments are taking away all the necessary tools for survival.' Even if outreach workers are not penalized for providing basic services and supplies like food, blankets and clothes, they are still concerned they could be cited, fined or even arrested if they provide tents, as they often do during cold and wet spells, said Wan, CEO of Abode Services. Despite the city attorney's assurances that outreach staff will not be impacted, Abode is seeking guidance from an attorney to help craft an agreement to propose to the city to ensure that its staff are not subject to this ordinance, Wan said. It would also clarify whether their clients' information will remain confidential and whether supporting people with tents is allowed 'as the language in the ordinance does seem extremely broad,' she said. Restricting outreach could lead to worse health, housing and economic outcomes — while increasing costs to cities in policing and emergency services, Housing California communications director Alex Brown said. 'The mere threat of penalties can deter individuals and organizations from providing essential aid, leaving more people without access to the support they need to survive,' Brown said. More cities could be empowered by Fremont's ordinance to pursue similar policies, homelessness experts say. 'Cites are going for the quick fix, which is an illusion,' Henson said. It's part of a growing trend 'of limiting advocates' ability to support unhoused neighbors and monitor a city's enforcement practices,' Do said. That includes an increasing number of jurisdictions prohibiting activities like panhandling or providing food to people, he said. 'Targeting people who offer aid to those in need does nothing to solve homelessness,' Do said. Henson said her organization is prepared to file a lawsuit against the city if the law violates the rights of the unhoused or those who help them, she said. 'Right now, if you are unhoused your entire existence is illegal and in the City of Fremont you are also engaged in unlawful behavior if you seek to protect someone from the cold, feed them, help them with an accessible structure, or store their personal belongings,' she said.
