A family struggling with homelessness is taking legal action against multiple organizations and government agencies, alleging severe mistreatment and unsafe living conditions. On August 29, 2024, Tanika Williams filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, against Sacramento County and several other entities.
Tanika Williams claims that after moving to California from Missouri during the COVID-19 pandemic, her family faced numerous hardships, including homelessness. Despite their efforts to secure stable housing through various local organizations such as the Greater Sacramento Urban League and Next Move Sacramento, they found themselves frequently moving between motels and temporary shelters. Mrs. Williams detailed how her husband’s Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and her youngest daughter’s sickle cell disease made stable housing a critical need for their family.
In October 2021, the Williams family enrolled in the Sacramento Self-Help Housing (SSHH) program but received minimal assistance over two years. After being forced out of Motel 6 due to financial constraints in September 2022, SSHH attempted to place them on a housing voucher program. However, their application was denied due to credit inconsistencies. The situation worsened when SSHH announced its shutdown due to funding misappropriation in March 2023.
By June 2023, the City of Sacramento's Department of Community Response directed the Williams family to The Greens Hotel as part of the City Motel Program designed for unhoused residents. However, Mrs. Williams alleges that they encountered uninhabitable conditions at The Greens Hotel, including sewer water backups, black mold, exposed wires, bed bug infestations, and a broken heater during winter.
Despite reporting these issues through various channels like the City of Sacramento’s 311-service line and participating in city council meetings and protests, Mrs. Williams claims no substantial action was taken by The Greens Hotel or city officials. Her advocacy led to media coverage highlighting their plight.
In February 2024, following media attention on their situation, a third-party processor served the Williams family with a "pay or quit" notice demanding $4,000 in rent despite their enrollment in a program providing free shelter. Shortly after this notice was issued under suspicious circumstances suggesting retaliation for their complaints about living conditions and public advocacy efforts.
The complaint outlines multiple causes of action against Shree Enterprises DBA Greens Hotel and other defendants: breach of implied warranty of habitability; breach of implied covenant of quiet enjoyment; negligent maintenance of premises; premises liability; violation of Civil Code §789.3 regarding illegal lockouts; retaliatory eviction under Civil Code §1942.5(c). Mrs. Williams seeks general damages according to proof for each cause where available special damages declaratory relief injunctive relief pre-judgment post-judgment interests reasonable attorney fees costs incurred during litigation further relief deemed just proper by court
Attorneys Lori J Costanzo Frank Zeccola representing Plaintiff Tanika Williams have submitted this case before Judge Baldwin Case ID: 24 wOT Fr 23s