Homeless Crackdown Gains Momentum in California as US Supreme Court Test Looms
Numerous tents that formerly bordered downtown sidewalks have vanished seven months into the city of San Diego’s assault on homeless encampments.
Now, two state senators from California, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, have teamed up to draft a statewide version of San Diego’s rule that permits police to roust many homeless individuals even in the absence of shelter.
However, proponents of homelessness claimed that the enforcement approach has just sent them onto riverbanks and other hidden locations, because the supply of shelter beds continues to fall short of the need.
According to polls, homelessness and inexpensive housing are among California voters’ top concerns, thus the discussion is reflecting an increasing sense of urgency. The state has incurred more than.
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to weigh in. The justices are scheduled to hear arguments on April 22 in a case from Oregon that may determine the legality of enforcing anti-camping laws and other regulations affecting homeless people when there is nowhere for them to go.
The justices will hear an appeal by the city of Grants Pass in southern Oregon of a lower court’s ruling that found that local ordinances that outlawed camping on sidewalks, streets, parks or other public places violate the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment prohibition against “cruel and unusual” punishment. A ruling is expected by the end of June.
Homeless people still congregate in downtown San Diego, pushing their possessions in shopping carts or sitting on duffle bags, awaiting city services such as referrals for shelter, food or clothing, or mental health and substance abuse treatment. The city has about 6,500 homeless people, according to a census, opens new tab conducted a year ago. About half found some kind of roof, but that still left 3,285 in the street.
Homeless advocate Michael McConnell said a game of Whac-A-Mole has emerged, with politicians who failed to provide affordable housing now resorting to police force.
“It hasn’t solved homelessness, it’s just scattered homelessness,” said McConnell, a former vice chair of the board of the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, an organization that administers public funding for shelters and other services.
