As San Francisco cracks down on homeless encampments, a question rises: Where will people go?
5 months, 1 week ago

As San Francisco cracks down on homeless encampments, a question rises: Where will people go?

LA Times  

Outreach workers, backed by law enforcement officers, have fanned out across San Francisco in recent days in targeted efforts to dismantle some of the city’s most visible encampments. A week into what Mayor London Breed has called a “very aggressive” effort to clear homeless encampments across San Francisco, a key question looms: Where will the people living in those tents go? In response, Breed said that San Francisco, a city that’s become a favorite right-wing punching bag for its sprawling homelessness crisis, would launch a more determined initiative to clear encampments. The time had come, she said, to address “this issue differently than we have before.” Despite a years-long effort to move people into shelter or housing, street encampments remain a visible problem in San Francisco. California Taking cue from Supreme Court, Breed to launch aggressive homeless sweeps in San Francisco San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the city will start aggressively clearing homeless camps in August, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gives cities greater authority to move people off the streets.

Housing Supreme Court City Homeless San Francisco Homelessness San Francisco Breed London Breed Shelter Cretan Supportive Housing Homeless Encampments Encampments Outreach Workers  cracks  shelter  housing  francisco  workers  encampments  homelessness  question  breed  san  homeless  rises  city

History of this topic

Opinion: On homelessness, liberal California and the ultraconservative Supreme Court largely agree
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Opinion: On homelessness, liberal California and the ultraconservative Supreme Court largely agree

LA Times  

What does a small, solidly Republican city in Oregon have in common with California’s largest liberal enclaves? California’s response to the ruling has become a vivid reminder of not just the intractability of the homelessness epidemic but also the tension between national liberal politics and local policy in Democratic-dominated states and cities. Roughly 84% of the state’s voters believe homelessness …

More shelter beds and a crackdown on tents means fewer homeless encampments in San Francisco
3 months, 2 weeks ago

More shelter beds and a crackdown on tents means fewer homeless encampments in San Francisco

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We’re seeing much cleaner sidewalks,” said Terry Asten Bennett, …

Long Beach begins citywide homeless sweeps. But where will the unhoused go?
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Long Beach begins citywide homeless sweeps. But where will the unhoused go?

LA Times  

Miguel Angel Gonzalez Martinez and his dog Lincoln move his belongings a block away from Gumbiner Park after it was recently cleared. “It’s just unfair.” A homeless man, center, confronts city workers, who are accompanied by police, as an encampment is cleared Aug. 19 at Gumbiner Park in Long Beach. Although the city planned to issue citations and possibly make …

Humboldt officials accuse San Francisco of busing the city’s homeless problems north
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Humboldt officials accuse San Francisco of busing the city’s homeless problems north

LA Times  

Humboldt County leaders say they’re worried that San Francisco’s aggressive efforts to relocate homeless people to other cities will simply shift the problem to other jurisdictions. During their Tuesday meeting, Humboldt County supervisors debated sending a draft letter, addressed to Breed, questioning whether San Francisco was making sure the homeless people it’s busing out actually land housing and jobs. As …

Homeless people will face fines, possible arrest in Long Beach crackdown, city official says
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Homeless people will face fines, possible arrest in Long Beach crackdown, city official says

LA Times  

A man sits with his dog and his belongings on a bench in Long Beach. Long Beach will begin citing and possibly arresting homeless people as part of the city’s effort to crack down on its most problematic encampments. Those actions will be used as a last resort to remove encampments known to be “difficult spots,” Long Beach Deputy City …

Everyone agrees there’s a homeless crisis in the US. Plans to address it vary among mayor candidates
5 months ago

Everyone agrees there’s a homeless crisis in the US. Plans to address it vary among mayor candidates

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Mayor London Breed has launched a new crackdown on people sleeping outside in a campaign to clear the sidewalks of homeless encampments that have come to define the city. “You can truly change the reputation of San Francisco from a place that today people believe they can come to our city, pitch a tent and …

Editorial: Newsom and San Francisco take a wrong turn on homelessness
5 months ago

Editorial: Newsom and San Francisco take a wrong turn on homelessness

LA Times  

Homeless people collect personal items as San Francisco city workers remove an encampment in the Bayview neighborhood on Aug. 1. This ignores the fact that there are 8,300 homeless people in San Francisco, but the city’s 3,600 shelter beds are nearly at capacity. He created Project Roomkey, the program that cities and counties used to move vulnerable homeless people into …

San Francisco police and street cleaners take aggressive approach to clearing homeless encampments
5 months, 1 week ago

San Francisco police and street cleaners take aggressive approach to clearing homeless encampments

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Police in San Francisco will start clearing out homeless residents living in public areas under new policies announced Tuesday by the office of Mayor London Breed, who has pledged a more aggressive approach to tent encampments following a key U.S. Supreme Court decision. In a memo, Breed’s office said city workers will continue offering housing and services …

San Francisco police and street cleaners take aggressive approach to clearing homeless encampments
5 months, 1 week ago

San Francisco police and street cleaners take aggressive approach to clearing homeless encampments

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Police in San Francisco will …

L.A. County supervisors reaffirm policy against jailing homeless people after anticamping high court ruling
5 months, 1 week ago

L.A. County supervisors reaffirm policy against jailing homeless people after anticamping high court ruling

LA Times  

Tents along Grand Canal Street in Venice a block from where the Venice Dell Project is to be built as housing for homeless people on July 10. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to support a motion affirming that its jails won’t be used to hold homeless people arrested in the enforcement of anticamping ordinances. …

Taking cue from Supreme Court, Breed to launch aggressive homeless sweeps in San Francisco
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Taking cue from Supreme Court, Breed to launch aggressive homeless sweeps in San Francisco

LA Times  

James Reem has lived in a tent on the corner of Fell and Baker streets for more than a year. “They’re not concerned about the homeless,” James Reem said of San Francisco’s plans for encampment sweeps. “They’re concerned about getting rid of us.” His adopted neighborhood is among dozens of sites likely to be targeted as the city launches what …

Newsom orders California agencies to clear homeless camps, but the impact remains a question
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Newsom orders California agencies to clear homeless camps, but the impact remains a question

LA Times  

Homeless people and their tents on 5th Street in Los Angeles’ Skid Row on June 28. Citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling that lessened restrictions on the enforcement of anti-camping laws, the order said there is “no longer any barrier to local governments utilizing the substantial resources provided by the State, in tandem with federal and local resources, to …

Homeless encampment cleanups do little to change numbers of people on the street, study finds
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Homeless encampment cleanups do little to change numbers of people on the street, study finds

LA Times  

Inside Safe workers clean up a homeless camp at 86th Street and Broadway to get people out of the encampment and into hotel and motel rooms June 26, 2024, in Los Angeles. “They just tend to move them around and the numbers tend to return in our relatively small area to previous trends pretty quickly.” Dwight Thomas, 62, right, gathers …

Some cities facing homelessness crisis applaud Supreme Court decision, while others push back
6 months, 1 week ago

Some cities facing homelessness crisis applaud Supreme Court decision, while others push back

Associated Press  

SEATTLE — A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces will allow San Francisco to begin clearing homeless encampments that have plagued the city, the mayor said Friday as she applauded the ruling. Cody Bowman, a spokesperson for Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat who has seen his two terms …

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County decreases in annual count
6 months, 1 week ago

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County decreases in annual count

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — The number of homeless residents counted in Los Angeles County has dipped slightly, decreasing by about 0.3% since last year as California continues to struggle with the long-running crisis of tens of thousands of people sleeping in cars and encampments. Results released Friday from a federally required tally conducted in January found 75,312 people were homeless on …

Editorial: Drop in L.A.’s homeless population shows efforts to house people are paying off
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Editorial: Drop in L.A.’s homeless population shows efforts to house people are paying off

LA Times  

Wah Chen, 52, counts a homeless man sleeping next to his tent while participating in the second night of the 2024 Los Angeles County homeless count on Jan. 24. The results of the 2024 point-in-time homeless count released Friday show a 2.2% drop in the population of unhoused people living in the city of Los Angeles, from 46,260 in 2023 …

How will Supreme Court ruling on homeless camps affect California? Cities across state weigh in
6 months, 2 weeks ago

How will Supreme Court ruling on homeless camps affect California? Cities across state weigh in

LA Times  

A woman gathers possessions to take with her before a homeless encampment was cleaned up in San Francisco last August. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass slammed the Supreme Court’s ruling, calling it “disappointing” and arguing that it should not be used to jail homeless residents or drive them from city to city. In a phone interview, Lancaster Mayor R. Rex …

Mayors London Breed and Karen Bass take different approaches to homelessness and drug use in their cities
7 months ago

Mayors London Breed and Karen Bass take different approaches to homelessness and drug use in their cities

LA Times  

San Francisco Mayor London Breed, left, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass are the first Black women to lead their cities. Karen Bass and London Breed each made history when they were elected, shattering glass ceilings in their respective cities as the first female mayor of Los Angeles and first Black woman to lead San Francisco. And they are split …

Editorial: L.A. officials lied to justify seizing homeless people’s belongings. That’s despicable
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Editorial: L.A. officials lied to justify seizing homeless people’s belongings. That’s despicable

LA Times  

Ry Thounry packs up her tent on the Main Street overpass above the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles while sanitation crews move in to clean the homeless encampment. Plaintiff Pete Diocson, Jr., a homeless man in Harbor City, had his dog’s wire kennel seized and discarded because sanitation workers and Los Angeles Police Department officers told him it was …

Photos: 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count is underway
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Photos: 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count is underway

LA Times  

The annual three-night Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count is underway with volunteers fanning out to tally the number of unsheltered individuals, tents, vehicles and makeshift shelters they see in their assigned census tract. The 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count revealed a 9% year-over-year increase in homelessness in Los Angeles County and a 10% rise in Los Angeles. While participating …

One year on, has the mayor of LA finally put a dent in homelessness?
1 year ago

One year on, has the mayor of LA finally put a dent in homelessness?

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery The Palm Tree Inn …

Homeless numbers in Los Angeles could surge again, even as thousands move to temporary shelter
1 year ago

Homeless numbers in Los Angeles could surge again, even as thousands move to temporary shelter

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — In the hours after being elected mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass made a promise that will be an inescapable metric of her time in office: “We are going to solve homelessness.” The Democratic member of Congress, who had been on then-candidate Joe Biden’s short list for vice president, envisioned streets clear of more than 40,000 homeless …

Column: Is L.A. actually solving homelessness? The answer will start with perception, not reality
1 year, 1 month ago

Column: Is L.A. actually solving homelessness? The answer will start with perception, not reality

LA Times  

Mayor Karen Bass, accompanied by HUD official Richard J. Monocchio, left, and City Councilmembers Nithya Raman, far left, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Bob Blumenfield, speak to reporters in Hollywood on Wednesday. “I do really worry that it’s become normalized in public discourse to speak about people experiencing homelessness as, like, a problem for those who are not homeless — as opposed …

Cities crack down on homeless encampments. Advocates say that’s not the answer
1 year, 1 month ago

Cities crack down on homeless encampments. Advocates say that’s not the answer

LA Times  

A woman gathers possessions to take before a homeless encampment was cleaned up this summer in San Francisco. State and local laws criminalizing homelessness are on the rise, said Scout Katovich, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of sweeps and property seizures in a dozen cities, including Miami, Anchorage and …

Cities crack down on homeless encampments. Advocates say that’s not the answer
1 year, 1 month ago

Cities crack down on homeless encampments. Advocates say that’s not the answer

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “It can get hard,” said …

Cities crack down on homeless encampments. Advocates say that’s not the answer
1 year, 1 month ago

Cities crack down on homeless encampments. Advocates say that’s not the answer

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “It can get hard,” said Taylor, 32, who has …

Cities crack down on homeless encampments. Advocates say that’s not the answer
1 year, 1 month ago

Cities crack down on homeless encampments. Advocates say that’s not the answer

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — Tossing tent poles, blankets and a duffel bag into a shopping cart and three wagons, Will Taylor spent a summer morning helping friends tear down what had been their home and that of about a dozen others. “I mean we’re not trash, we’re people.” He said he and his wife would “wander a couple blocks from here …

Editorial: Asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on homeless policy invites troubles for L.A. and other cities
1 year, 3 months ago

Editorial: Asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on homeless policy invites troubles for L.A. and other cities

LA Times  

Mayor Karen Bass, right, chats in February with Jawonna Smith, 33, who lived in a tent on a sidewalk behind the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures before she was moved to a motel under the “Inside Safe” program. Nor is whining to the Supreme Court that judges won’t let cities cite or arrest homeless people. Hydee Feldstein Soto — community …

As she pushes for new homeless housing, Yaroslavsky shifts gears on no-camping zones
1 year, 4 months ago

As she pushes for new homeless housing, Yaroslavsky shifts gears on no-camping zones

LA Times  

Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. Six months ago, Los Angeles City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky took a firm stand on the city’s law regulating homeless encampments, saying she would not support the creation of any new no-camping zones until she had received a written report analyzing the law’s effectiveness. Yaroslavsky promised to …

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County jumps by 9% in annual count
1 year, 6 months ago

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County jumps by 9% in annual count

Associated Press  

The number of homeless residents counted in Los Angeles County has spiked again, increasing by 9% since last year in the latest marker of how deep the crisis is of people sleeping in cars, encampments or shelters in California. Results released Thursday from a federally required tally conducted in January found 75,518 people were homeless on any given night across …

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County jumps by 9% in annual count
1 year, 6 months ago

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County jumps by 9% in annual count

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The number of homeless residents counted in Los …

Homelessness continues to soar, jumping 9% in L.A. County, 10% in the city
1 year, 6 months ago

Homelessness continues to soar, jumping 9% in L.A. County, 10% in the city

LA Times  

Nathaniel Prenters, 44, gathers his belongings before an L.A. sanitation crew arrives at an encampment in the 200 block of South Venice Boulevard. Homelessness continues to rise dramatically, increasing by 9% in Los Angeles County and 10% in the city of Los Angeles last year, a stark illustration of the challenges faced by officials trying to reduce the number of …

San Diego considers banning homeless encampments
1 year, 7 months ago

San Diego considers banning homeless encampments

LA Times  

A row of tents on Sports Arena Boulevard in January 2022. Submitted by City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, the proposed ordinance would prohibit people from camping on public property if shelter options are available, but it also would ban camping on certain property, such as public parks, even if no legal shelters are available. Concern that the ordinance could push homeless …

Editorial: Is L.A.’s anti-camping law getting homeless people off sidewalks and into housing? Let’s find out
1 year, 10 months ago

Editorial: Is L.A.’s anti-camping law getting homeless people off sidewalks and into housing? Let’s find out

LA Times  

Nearly two years ago, the Los Angeles City Council passed a controversial ordinance that banned camping by homeless people near schools, day-care centers and parks as well as any other locations that council members wanted to decree off-limits. In tandem with the anti-camping law, the City Council adopted a street engagement strategy whereby people would be told to leave an …

Homelessness in San Francisco: talk of frustration, survival
2 years ago

Homelessness in San Francisco: talk of frustration, survival

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — On a frosty December morning, Victoria Solomon recounted how San Francisco police had rousted her awake hours earlier, and threatened to take her to jail if she didn’t clear out within 10 minutes. In September, the organization and seven individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless again sued San Francisco for violating the city’s …

Federal judge says San Francisco can’t clear homeless camps
2 years ago

Federal judge says San Francisco can’t clear homeless camps

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge has temporarily banned San Francisco from clearing homeless encampments, saying the city violated its own policies by failing to offer other shelter. The move came in a lawsuit filed on behalf of homeless plaintiffs that sought to stop San Francisco from dismantling homeless encampments until it has thousands of additional shelter beds. Now we …

Homeless people in San Francisco ask judge for emergency order to stop dismantling of tent camps
2 years ago

Homeless people in San Francisco ask judge for emergency order to stop dismantling of tent camps

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Homeless people and their …

Judge questions San Francisco tactics in homeless sweeps
2 years ago

Judge questions San Francisco tactics in homeless sweeps

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — A judge in federal court Thursday questioned San Francisco’s tactics in homeless encampment cleanups, suggesting the city is not following its own policies of offering shelter beds to people being asked to leave a public area. Attorneys for San Francisco said its policies balance the rights of homeless people with a need to maintain public spaces clean …

Long Beach’s new mayor calls for state of emergency to tackle homelessness
2 years ago

Long Beach’s new mayor calls for state of emergency to tackle homelessness

LA Times  

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson’s call on Wednesday for city officials to draft an emergency declaration on homelessness is in lockstep with Los Angeles, where newly elected Mayor Karen Bass made a similar declaration last week. Just hours after being sworn in, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson asked city officials Wednesday to draft an emergency declaration on homelessness, a move …

Oregon mayor to ban homeless camps on Portland streets
2 years, 2 months ago

Oregon mayor to ban homeless camps on Portland streets

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — The mayor of Portland, Oregon, plans to ban camping on city streets and move unhoused people to designated campsites, as the growing homeless population has become the top concern for the vast majority of residents. “We need to move our scattered, vulnerable homeless population closer to the services that they need.” The resolution would establish at least …

San Francisco Mayor apologizes after saying migrants were to blame for drug dealing in the city
2 years, 2 months ago

San Francisco Mayor apologizes after saying migrants were to blame for drug dealing in the city

Daily Mail  

San Francisco Mayor London Breed was forced to apologize Thursday after making comments about Honduran migrants being the cause of the city's drug problem. San Francisco Mayor London Breed was forced to apologize after she made comments about how the Honduran migrants and drug dealing in the Bay Area city Breed said that Honduran migrants are responsible for a major …

Lawsuit demands San Francisco stop homeless camp sweeps
2 years, 3 months ago

Lawsuit demands San Francisco stop homeless camp sweeps

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Homeless people and their advocates sued the city of San Francisco on Tuesday, demanding that it stop harassing and destroying the belongings of people living on the streets with nowhere to go, and with the goal of forcing the city to spend billions of dollars on affordable homes that will keep residents housed. Not only has the …

Two thirds of San Franciscans say city is going DOWNHILL due to vagrants, crime and living costs
2 years, 3 months ago

Two thirds of San Franciscans say city is going DOWNHILL due to vagrants, crime and living costs

Daily Mail  

Two thirds of San Francisco residents say their city is going downhill because of widespread homelessness, crime and rising housing costs - and a third plan to leave the city within three years, according to a bleak new poll. A homeless man injects fentanyl into his friend's armpit, due to a lack of usable veins, as people walk by near …

Many homeless people resist group shelters even as L.A. mayoral candidates push to build more
2 years, 8 months ago

Many homeless people resist group shelters even as L.A. mayoral candidates push to build more

LA Times  

Loryn Montag, a homeless engagement team member with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, takes Michael Watson to a tiny-house village as a sanitation crew prepares to remove a homeless encampment from the sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on April 5. The Los Angeles mayoral primary has seen candidates throwing big numbers around concerning how much shelter they’d …

Liberal U.S. cities change course, now clearing homeless camps
2 years, 9 months ago

Liberal U.S. cities change course, now clearing homeless camps

LA Times  

Makeshift shelters abut busy roadways, tent cities line sidewalks, tarps cover broken-down cars, and sleeping bags are tucked in storefront doorways. Wheeler has now used emergency powers to ban camping along certain roadways and says homelessness is the “most important issue facing our community, bar none.” Increasingly in liberal cities across the country — where people living in tents in …

San Francisco DA, others denounce mayor’s plan for police
3 years ago

San Francisco DA, others denounce mayor’s plan for police

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s top prosecutor on Monday pushed back on the mayor’s call for increased policing to battle rampant drug dealing in one of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods, urging her instead to put more money into housing and treatment that get at the root causes of crime. “The reality is that our outreach teams are out there …

San Francisco mayor declares emergency in troubled district
3 years ago

San Francisco mayor declares emergency in troubled district

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — The mayor of San Francisco declared on Friday a state of emergency in the Tenderloin in an effort to bring down overdose deaths and violent crime in one of the city’s poorest and most drug-infested neighborhoods. Mayor London Breed said at a news conference attended by the police chief and other public health personnel that rapid drug …

L.A.’s mayoral candidates agree homeless encampments need to go. The question is how
3 years, 1 month ago

L.A.’s mayoral candidates agree homeless encampments need to go. The question is how

LA Times  

Facing an enormous public outcry to solve homelessness in Los Angeles, nearly all of the leading candidates for mayor in 2022 agree on at least one thing: The problem of thousands of people sleeping in tents and RVs across the city is a crisis deserving of a disaster-level response. They said the city also needs to continue building permanent housing …

‘Gimme Shelter’: Sacramento plans to give homeless residents the right to housing
3 years, 1 month ago

‘Gimme Shelter’: Sacramento plans to give homeless residents the right to housing

LA Times  

Over the past few years, California governments have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the state’s homelessness problem, but progress has been hard to see. A new poll by the Los Angeles Business Council Institute in cooperation with The Times, found that 79% of Los Angeles County voters believe that homelessness problems have gotten worse recently. The poll also …

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