How San Diego Camping Ban Could Impact Neighborhoods

A proposed San Diego city ordinance would “would bar camping on public property when shelter is available and within two blocks of shelters and schools, parks, open spaces and along waterways and transit hubs even when it’s not,” reports Lisa Halverstadt for Voice of San Diego.

According to the article, unhoused residents wouldn’t be allowed to set up tents near shelters and service providers even when there are no open beds available to them, which some residents worry will lead to an increase in people moving to other areas that lack any public services and cause people to lose contact with service providers. Halverstadt points out, “A lack of bed availability has for years hampered enforcement efforts – even as the city has opened hundreds of additional beds on [Mayor Todd Gloria]’s watch.” The city is banned by a 2018 court ruling from issuing citations for sidewalk sleeping when no shelter is available.

“Whitburn and Gloria argue that hundreds of unsheltered residents will be offered spaces at two new safe campgrounds that could collectively accommodate 500 tents and that there are plans to add more shelter beds too.” Unhoused residents expressed concern about the size and rules of the city-planned campsites.

California, which is home to roughly one-third of unhoused people in the United States, is one of the first recipients of funding from the federal ‘ALL INside’ initiative, which will offer assistance and support to states and cities for programs to address the homelessness crisis.