Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, December 30, 2024…
- Since the Supreme Court gave local governments greater power to police homelessness this summer, some 40 cities across California have passed anti-camping laws, according to the National Homelessness Law Center. One of the harshest crackdowns is in the city of Fresno.
In Fresno, One Of California’s Toughest New Camping Bans Comes Into Focus
Since the Supreme Court empowered local governments to crack down on homeless encampments in June, at least 40 jurisdictions around California have enacted new laws or toughened existing ones, according to the National Homelessness Law Center.
The state is ground zero (PDF) for the nation’s homelessness crisis and NHLC says California’s new tally of camping bans is higher than any other state in the nation. Advocates for homeless people say that Fresno’s law is among the toughest in the state: banning camping, sitting or lying on public property anytime, anywhere.
City officials say the law is crafted to incentivize people to choose rehab by offering substance abuse treatment in lieu of arrest for violating the law — a misdemeanor punishable with up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or both.
The new policies in Fresno and across the state mark a dramatic shift from the pandemic, when the CDC advised encampments should be left in place. And as the number of people experiencing homelessness has spiked in the state — growing to more than 181,000 at last count — voters have in turn become increasingly impatient for a change from the status quo. Now, the reality of this new paradigm in Fresno is beginning to take shape.