A recent Supreme Court ruling has encouraged cities to ramp up efforts to remove and clean up homeless encampments. Several cities in the San Diego region, including National City, Chula Vista, San Diego, Escondido, Poway, Vista, and San Marcos, have already banned public camping. Carlsbad and the County Board of Supervisors are considering similar measures.
Advocates for the homeless argue that these bans are ineffective in reducing homelessness. Experts agree, citing research that shows bans often don’t address the root causes of homelessness. City officials counter that they’ve offered services to the homeless but many have refused. They believe stricter penalties might encourage more people to accept help.
While these bans may not solve the homelessness crisis, they’ve become a popular demand among residents and politicians as elections grow near.
This video from CBS 8 from July examines a recent encampment teardown on Palamar St. and its impact.
