FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2025
Civil Rights Lawsuit Challenges Fremont’s Criminalization of Homelessness and Charity
Good Samaritans Face Fines and Arrest for Helping the Unhoused
Fremont, CA – A coalition of civil rights advocates, including the California Homeless Union, the Fremont Homeless Union, faith leaders, religious organizations, and advocates for the unhoused, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Fremont. The lawsuit challenges a newly enacted ordinance that criminalizes both homelessness and charitable acts of aid.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the lawsuit seeks to overturn Fremont’s sweeping anti-camping law, which makes it a misdemeanor for unhoused individuals to camp anywhere in the city. Even more disturbingly, the ordinance also punishes those who provide assistance—targeting churches, nonprofits, and individuals who offer essential aid such as tents, blankets, or sleeping bags. Those caught “aiding and abetting” the homeless face misdemeanor charges, fines, and up to six months in jail.
“In Fremont, the Good Samaritan faces arrest,” said Andrea M. Henson, Executive Director of Where Do We Go? and co-counsel for the California Homeless Union. “The City is not only criminalizing poverty but also attacking those who live out their faith through service. This ordinance is an assault on compassion, community, and justice.”
“Feeding the hungry and providing aid to those in need is more than a moral duty—it is a fundamental expression of religious faith and free speech,” said Robbie Powelson, an officer with the Marin County Homeless Union, whose organization is a plaintiff in the case. “By restricting individuals, nonprofits, and faith-based groups from offering support, Fremont is directly violating First Amendment rights.”
“With this anti-camping law, Fremont has made it illegal for its unhoused residents to exist within city limits,” said Jason Serris, President of Marin Housing for All Foundation and an officer of the Novato Homeless Union. “Even possessing something as essential as a sleeping bag is now a crime.”
A City Without Solutions, Only Punishment
Fremont’s ordinance leaves the city’s unhoused residents with an impossible choice: face arrest for existing outdoors or leave a city that has failed to provide real solutions. At the same time, churches, faith-based groups, and compassionate individuals are forced to choose between obeying an unjust law or following their conscience.
National Press Conference – Friday, March 7
Advocates and legal experts will hold a virtual press conference to discuss the lawsuit and the broader fight against laws that criminalize homelessness.
📅 Date: Friday, March 7, 2025
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time
🔗 Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81909410208
Media Contact
Andrea M. Henson – Co-Counsel, California Homeless Union
📱 Cell: 510-640-7390
📧 Email: ahenson@wdwg.org
Andrea M. Henson
Executive Director and Legal Counsel
Where Do We Go
2726 Martin Luther King Junior Way
Berkeley, California 94703-2146
Tel: 510-999-WDWG (9394)
Cell: 510-640-7390
Ahenson@wdwg.org | www.wdwg.org
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.