The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office notified a judge Thursday of a conditional settlement in its lawsuit accusing the city of Sacramento of violating laws as it failed to adequately address the homeless crisis, according to a notice of a settlement agreement filed in Sacramento Superior Court.
Ho, in a unique lawsuit filed in 2023, accused city officials for allowing “chaos” and a “descent into decay” as the number of homeless people grew. The lawsuit accused Sacramento of creating a public nuisance and violating a Fish and Game Code section prohibiting polluting California’s waters.
The terms of any tentative agreement between the city and the District Attorney’s Office has not yet been filed in court and are unclear.
“The settlement agreement conditions dismissal of this matter on the satisfactory completion of specified terms that are not to be performed within 45 days of the date of the settlement,” the court filing said.
The case is not complete, and a settlement has not been reached between the city and the District Attorney’s Office. The settlement must first be approved by the City Council in closed session before the agreement is official.
A request for a judge to dismiss the case will be filed by May 1, according to the court filing.
The original lawsuit included testimony from “victims” of 14 encampments in which residents called 911, 311 and elected officials but received no help, according to The Bee’s previous reporting.
The lawsuit did not name any leader, but cited a seven-year timeframe when the city was lead by former Mayor Darrell Steinberg and former City Manager Howard Chan.
When the lawsuit was announced, Steinberg called Ho’s lawsuit a “performative distraction” that would not clear sidewalks or help house unhoused people. The former mayor also added no local government had done more than the city of Sacramento to address homelessness, though residents’ frustration is absolutely justified.
Former City Attorney Susan Alcala Wood at the time accused Ho of suing the city because he planned to run for attorney general. Ho denied the accusation. He announced his candidacy in November for the newly redistricted 6th Congressional seat.
Spokespeople for the District Attorney’s Office and the city did not immediately have comment.
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Ishani Desai is a government watchdog reporter for The Sacramento Bee. She previously covered crime and courts for The Bakersfield Californian.