The City of Long Beach is enacting a firmer stance on homelessness by utilizing anti-camping laws to cite individuals who refuse offers of assistance and persist in residing within encampments, particularly when such encampments pose a threat to public health or safety. Citing a recent Supreme Court decision in Grant's Pass (Ore.) v. Johnson, local ordinances can now be supported that penalize sleeping or camping in public spaces, as reported by FOX 11.
According to a memo released by Deputy City Manager Teresa Chandler, featured by CBS News Los Angeles, these enforcement measures are seen not as a panacea but as tools to guide individuals towards availing themselves of the city's services such as shelters and mental health support and to ensure that experiences of homelessness are both brief and rare. Enforcement will concentrate on encampments that disrupt access to places like parks, libraries, and beaches, however, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson emphasized the ultimate goal is not to criminalize homelessness but to encourage engagement with services provided by the city, CBS News reports.
Details from a memo by NBC Los Angeles added that outreach efforts will precede any legal action, offering unhoused individuals alternate arrangements and only issuing citations as a last resort. The policy aims to balance compassion with maintaining public sanitation and safety, a concern exacerbated by accounts like that of business owner Danielle Soldati who expressed difficulties running her Long Beach cafe near homeless encampments, saying, "We want to run a business but if no one is going to come because of they are afraid to be in Long Beach it makes it even harder for us to survive."
In line with the city's strategy, Long Beach police officers will use discretion in enforcing anti-camping laws to focus on criminal behavior rather than penalize homelessness per se, Long Beach residents display mixed feelings, some concur with the need for order in public spaces whereas others, like resident Michelle Lorenz, said in a statement obtained by NBC Los Angeles, "I think we need to do a better job of helping these people and finding them a place to live." The city acknowledges that citations won't necessarily lower the rates of homelessness, but they hope the measures encourage more people to take advantage of available resources and services, thus potentially reducing the prevalence of chronic homelessness.
