The ordinance prohibits camping on any public property as long as shelter beds are available
The San Diego City Council voted 5-4 Tuesday to adopt a controversial policy to ban homeless encampments on public property after hearing hours of public testimony.
Von Wilpert supported the ordinance while also saying she agreed that the city could not arrest its way out of its homeless crisis. Councilmember Kent Lee said he opposed the ordinance because he believed it could be legally challenged and went beyond trying to address unsafe camping. He also said it could create a false sense with the public that the ordinance would be a solution to homelessness and clear encampments.
“We didn’t come here to solve homelessness with one vote,” he said. “We came here today on a proposed ordinance that aims to reduce the impact of problematic conduct that many levels of government have failed to solve or, worse yet, have exacerbated.” More than 200 people signed up to speak either for or against the ordinance. People in favor included downtown residents who spoke about dangerous encounters with people on the street, fear of going outside their own homes and filth left outside their businesses.
Homeless advocate Michael McConnell, speaking against the ordinance, said the ban would create boundaries where people would be allowed to sleep on one side of the street but not the other.Hanan Scrapper, regional director for People Assisting the Homeless San Diego, also opposed the ordinance. Homeless encampments are found in many other areas in the city, and the ordinance would ban homeless encampments 24/7 throughout all of Mission Bay.
Leverson said he and his children were almost struck by a car two months ago when he had to push his stroller into the street because the sidewalk was blocked by tents.Formerly homeless man Ken Saragosa spoke passionately against the ordinance.
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