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    California’s Homeless Face Increased Enforcement Amid New Sleeping Bans

    Updated: Top News 5 Mins Read

    President Donald Trump : “The homeless situation in California is disgraceful. We’re going to have to step in and do something about it because we can’t let Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other cities destroy themselves by allowing what’s happening.”

    Homeless advocates across California are increasingly alarmed as the landscape for where unhoused individuals can legally sleep is rapidly shrinking. The intricate web of sleeping bans is tightening, driven by varied responses to Governor Gavin Newsom’s directive urging local governments to intensify crackdowns on homeless encampments. This comes in the wake of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permits cities to fine and arrest individuals for sleeping on public property, even in the absence of available shelter beds.

    Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness in San Francisco, expressed deep concern, noting that these actions only exacerbate the homelessness crisis, leaving people more traumatized. With over 180,000 individuals living without housing in California—accounting for nearly a third of the nation’s homeless population—the majority reside outdoors, as reported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

    Newsom’s order has stirred a range of enforcement approaches across the state. In cities like San Francisco and San Marcos, police have adapted to the new guidelines, allowing officers to enforce sleeping bans without the prior requirement of offering shelter options. This has led to a stark reality for those living in tents along highways and under overpasses, areas now increasingly targeted by state agencies like Caltrans under Newsom’s order. Shayla Myers, an attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, highlights the growing difficulty for unhoused individuals to find places where they can stay without violating these new laws.

    Dani Rodriguez, who once lived in a tent along a highway in Venice before moving into an RV, describes the anxiety of potentially losing even this fragile sense of security. The fear of being uprooted again looms large, despite the relative safety she and her partner have found in their RV. Rodriguez’s situation underscores the broader issue: despite California’s significant investment—over $24 billion under Newsom’s administration to combat homelessness and expand mental health services—there remains a glaring shortage of resources to address the crisis effectively.

    On the enforcement side, local officials like Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan acknowledge the need for compassion in dealing with unhoused populations, but they also stress the importance of enforcement as part of a broader strategy to get people off the streets. Steinberg, while opposing punitive measures like jailing or fining homeless individuals, recognizes that increased enforcement will likely be a reality moving forward. Meanwhile, San Jose plans to add 1,000 new shelter beds in 2024 to support the enforcement of encampment sweeps.

    However, in smaller municipalities like San Marcos, which have passed stringent camping bans despite having minimal homeless populations, advocates like Jennifer Hark Dietz of People Assisting The Homeless are frustrated. She argues that criminalizing homelessness in these areas, where it would take relatively few resources to provide housing, is counterproductive. The situation is a microcosm of the broader challenges facing California: as enforcement ramps up, the fundamental question remains unanswered—where will these displaced individuals go?

    Quotes

    • Devin Nunes (Former U.S. Representative for California’s 22nd District): “California’s homeless crisis is a clear example of what happens when government fails to address the root causes—high taxes, overregulation, and policies that discourage economic growth.”
    • Larry Elder (Conservative Talk Show Host and Republican Gubernatorial Candidate):“Homelessness in California has become an industry, a big money pit that doesn’t solve the problem but instead perpetuates it. We need to enforce laws, offer treatment, and incentivize work, not dependency.”
    • Kevin Faulconer (Former Mayor of San Diego): “We need to stop tolerating tent cities on our streets and start focusing on real solutions that include enforcement, compassion, and building more shelter space. This crisis won’t be solved by ignoring it.”
    • Kevin McCarthy (House Speaker, U.S. Representative for California’s 20th District): “California’s homeless crisis is a direct result of failed liberal policies. Instead of throwing more money at the problem, we need accountability and real reforms that address mental health and substance abuse issues.”
    • John Cox (Republican Candidate for Governor of California): “The homelessness crisis in California is a human tragedy, and it’s only gotten worse under Democratic leadership. We need to stop enabling homelessness and instead offer help that gets people off the streets and into the workforce.”

    Major Points

    • Homeless advocates fear growing enforcement against outdoor sleeping as cities respond to Newsom’s directive.
    • Supreme Court ruling allows cities to fine and arrest homeless individuals even when shelters are unavailable.
    • Police in cities like San Francisco now enforce bans without offering alternative shelter options.
    • Smaller towns like San Marcos implement strict camping bans despite having minimal homeless populations.
    • Advocates warn of worsening conditions as displaced individuals struggle to find legal places to stay.

    Lap Fu Ip – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News

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