By the Street Sentinel

Cities love to say homelessness is “too expensive” to solve.
But somehow, there’s always money for sweeps.

Stockton spent $154,804 on two heavy‑duty police trucks to support the Trinity Parkway eviction, a sweep that displaced about 15 people and solved nothing.

Let’s be honest about what that money really bought:

• two trucks
• two drivers
• two more tools for enforcement
• two more reasons to repeat the same cycle

That’s it.

No stability.
No dignity.
No long‑term plan.
Just more capacity to remove people faster next time.

But here’s the part the city never calculates:

Stability is cheaper than displacement.

For the same $154,804, Shelter Outline: The Network could have delivered:

• weekly cleanups for a full year
• portable restrooms with regular servicing
• wash truck visits for hygiene and laundry
• food truck partnerships for predictable meals
• a fenced dog area to reduce conflict and stress
• resident‑led maintenance stipends
• community agreements built with the people who live there
• a functioning, stable micro‑community

All for the price of two trucks.

The city invested in the ability to destroy a community.
Shelter Outline: The Network would have invested in the ability to maintain one.

That’s the difference.
That’s the choice.
That’s the future we’re building.