1 2 3 4 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 5 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 6 7 HASTINGS COLLEGE OF THE Case No. 4:20-cv-03033-JST 8 STIPULATED INJUNCTION 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 LAW, a public trust and institution of higher education duly organized under the laws and the Constitution of the State of California; FALLON VICTORIA, an individual; RENE DENIS, an individual; TENDERLOIN MERCHANTS AND PROPERTY ASSOCIATION, a business association; RANDY HUGHES, an individual; and KRISTEN VILLALOBOS, an individual, Plaintiffs, 16 17 v. 18 CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN 19 20 FRANCISCO, a municipal entity, Defendant. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 The undersigned parties stipulate as follows: SECTION I. The parties share the goal of improving living conditions in the Tenderloin neighborhood, and of making the streets and sidewalks clear and safe for the use of persons in the Tenderloin, including residents, the unhoused, visitors, employees, employers, shoppers, and persons with disabilities. The parties wish to help businesses and all persons in the Tenderloin thrive and enjoy the safety and 1 STIPULATED INJUNCTION - CASE NO. 4:20-cv-03033-JST 1 opportunity that are expected in any San Francisco Neighborhood. The problems 2 facing the Tenderloin are substantial and are not easily solved and have been 3 exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. As the parties recognize that the COVID-19 4 crisis creates additional challenges to improving the Tenderloin neighborhood, this 5 injunction is intended to address the current situation. Ultimately the City’s goal is 6 to be able to provide sufficient access to shelters and navigation centers so that no 7 resident of San Francisco must resort to sleeping in a tent on the street or sidewalk. 8 The City is committed to making all reasonable efforts to achieve this goal. 9 SECTION II. During the COVID-19 emergency1, the City will reduce the 10 number of tents and other encamping materials and related personal property on 11 sidewalks and streets in the Tenderloin by offering alternatives to people living in 12 those tents including the following: 13 First, the City will offer shelter-in-place hotel rooms to people 14 facing heightened health risks from COVID-19. The City estimates that 15 approximately thirty-percent of people currently living in tents in the 16 Tenderloin will be eligible for an SIP hotel room. To ensure that rooms 17 are available for all eligible people currently in the Tenderloin, the City 18 will prioritize access to hotel rooms for unsheltered persons currently 19 living in the Tenderloin. 20 Second, the City will establish safe sleeping villages outside the 21 Tenderloin to which people can relocate. Safe sleeping villages are 22 staffed areas that offer access to social services, restrooms, garbage 23 service, power, water, and hand sanitizer. The City will ensure that 24 safe sleeping villages comply with and are maintained consistent with 25 guidelines from the San Francisco Department of Public Health. 26 27 28 1 The end of the COVID-19 emergency is defined for purposes of this injunction as the date the Mayor lifts the San Francisco emergency order. 2 STIPULATED INJUNCTION - CASE NO. 4:20-cv-03033-JST 1 Third, the City will make available some off-street sites in the 2 Tenderloin (such as parking lots) to which tents can be moved so they 3 are no longer on sidewalks or streets or blocking sidewalks or entrances 4 to businesses and homes. The City agrees that this option will only be 5 available for a maximum of 50-70 tents because of existing structures in 6 the Tenderloin. These off-street sites will be permanently removed 7 within three months after the end of the COVID-19 emergency, defined 8 as the time the Mayor lifts the emergency declaration. 9 Because the implementation of this stipulated injunction may have the effect 10 of encouraging additional people to come to the Tenderloin in the hope of securing a 11 hotel room or placement at a safe sleeping site, during this process the City will 12 discourage additional people from erecting tents in the neighborhood. The City 13 intends to continue to assist unsheltered persons in other areas of the City. 14 The parties recognize that it will take time to make additional sites available 15 in and out of the Tenderloin. The City is hopeful that most people offered an 16 alternative location will be willing to accept it, but if necessary to comply with this 17 stipulated injunction the City will employ enforcement measures for those who do not 18 accept an offer of shelter or safe sleeping sites to prevent re-encampment. 19 The City agrees that it shall cause seventy percent (70%) of the number of 20 tents as counted on June 5, 2020 to be removed along with all other encamping 21 materials and related personal property, and their occupants relocated to a hotel 22 room, safe sleeping site, off-street sites, or other placement by July 20, 2020. The 23 City will take action to prevent re-encampment. After July 20, 2020, the City will 24 make all reasonable efforts to achieve the shared goal of permanently reducing the 25 number of tents, along with all other encamping materials and related personal 26 property, to zero. 27 All parties shall respect the legal rights of the unhoused of the Tenderloin in 28 all manners, including in relation to relocating and removing the unhoused, the 3 STIPULATED INJUNCTION - CASE NO. 4:20-cv-03033-JST 1 tents, the other encamping materials and other personal property. 2 SECTION III. The City will continue to offer COVID-19 testing in the 3 Tenderloin. The facility will offer free testing to all persons in the Tenderloin. The 4 City shall reach out to unhoused people to offer such testing. A mobile testing facility 5 may eventually have to be relocated to other areas of the City, but the City will also 6 work to establish a long-term testing site in the Tenderloin for the duration of the 7 COVID-19 emergency. 8 SECTION IV. During the time when the City is working toward removing at 9 least 70% of the tents from the Tenderloin as described above, it will advise 10 unsheltered persons in the Tenderloin of the following requirements: 11 12 • Tents and structures cannot block a doorway, exit, fire escape or come within 5 feet of a fire hydrant. 13 • Tents and structures cannot make sidewalks impassable or impede traffic. 14 While the City does not believe it can feasibly enforce these requirements 15 immediately and universally throughout the Tenderloin, it will increase its 16 enforcement efforts as the total number of tents is reduced and tents can more 17 readily be relocated. In addition, the City will discourage persons from erecting tents 18 within 6 feet of a doorway to a business, residence or transit stop. 19 SECTION V. Narcotic sales and trafficking law violations shall be enforced by 20 the SFPD consistently across the City. 21 SECTION VI. The parties recognize that the current crisis is unprecedented. 22 The Parties agree that if either party believes the other party to be in breach of the 23 stipulated injunction, the parties will meet and confer within one business day of a 24 dispute being raised. If the parties are unable to reach a resolution, the dispute will 25 be submitted to Magistrate Judge Corley who will hold a settlement conference 26 within 2 business days of receiving notice of a dispute. If Magistrate Judge Corley is 27 unable to negotiate a resolution, the dispute will be submitted to Judge Tigar. Judge 28 Tigar will remain able to consult with Judge Corley under the parameters agreed to 4 STIPULATED INJUNCTION - CASE NO. 4:20-cv-03033-JST 1 by the parties at the first Case Management Conference. 2 SECTION VII. After the COVID-19 emergency, the City will have options to 3 help improve living conditions in the Tenderloin neighborhood that currently are not 4 available due to constraints caused by the pandemic. The parties agree to work 5 together to improve living conditions in the Tenderloin neighborhood for the long 6 term. 7 SECTION VIII: Plaintiffs agree to seek no attorneys’ fees for work done up to 8 June 10, 2020. Other than as stated herein, no party is waiving any rights, claims or 9 defenses by entering this stipulated injunction. The litigation is stayed pending 10 approval of this stipulated injunction by the Board of Supervisors. If the Board does 11 not approve this stipulated injunction, then the litigation will be resumed. After 12 approval by the Board this action will be dismissed, but the court will retain 13 continuing jurisdiction to enforce this injunction. 14 SECTION IX: The City will immediately begin fulfilling the terms of this 15 stipulated injunction. This stipulated injunction, however, is ultimately subject to 16 approval by the Board of Supervisors. If the Board does not approve the stipulated 17 injunction within three months of the date of this stipulated injunction, Plaintiffs 18 reserve the right to ask the Court to lift the stay of the litigation. 19 20 21 22 23 [SIGNATURES] IT IS SO ORDERED, 24 Dated: ________, 2020 25 26 ________________________________ Jon S. Tigar, District Court Judge 27 28 5 STIPULATED INJUNCTION - CASE NO. 4:20-cv-03033-JST