In the last year, a significant shift in the enforcement of homelessness laws across California has made it more challenging for individuals experiencing homelessness to seek shelter and stability.
A recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court effectively allowed cities like Los Angeles to ban camping on public property, even when adequate shelter is unavailable, leading to a disruption in the usual protocols that were once in place for arrests and citations.
The story of Deadra Walicki, a 51-year-old resident of a tent encampment in Los Angeles, exemplifies the ongoing struggles faced by many in similar situations. Walicki has received at least 34 citations from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for violating camping laws since the Supreme Court decision.
Living in a spot squeezed between a boarded-up grocery store and bustling train tracks, she fights to maintain consistency in her life so that friends and caseworkers can find her.
As Walicki recounts her interactions with law enforcement: “They drove through today and I waved at them.” Her camp is in a zone where the LAPD actively enforces anti-camping laws, yet she claims the designated shelter is too distant from her location to justify repeated ticketing.
Indeed, an analysis by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency found that over 90% of individuals subjected to forceful removal under the city’s anti-camping laws desired shelter, yet only a small fraction was able to access it.
Each confrontation with the police adds to Walicki’s mountain of legal troubles. The citations she receives complicate her attempts to secure housing due to accumulating fines and warrants, further entrenching her in homelessness.
Similarly, David Cerritos, a 46-year-old man living in Skid Row for five years, has been repeatedly detained and cited, leading to significant personal losses of belongings through police action. Cerritos noted the sheer frustration of losing essential items, saying, “If you don’t comply, you’ll just be arrested.”
As he details the chaos that accompanies each interaction, his experience highlights a system where citations have become commonplace while actual pathways to housing remain elusive.
In Sacramento, the situation is not much different for Jerry Carter, who also struggled under the weight of increased police enforcement following the Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling. Carter, known for biking around neighborhoods with his dog Zaddy, has accumulated multiple citations for camping and storing his belongings improperly.
Despite the pressure to move due to police presence, he felt compelled to stay close to areas where he could find food and support. After resisting offers for shelter in a tiny home community, Carter found himself facing an ultimatum from a police officer: accept the tiny home or face arrest.
Ultimately, Carter chose to move. Though he now enjoys the comforts of having a home, the experience left him burdened by warrants for his past citations that hinder his ability to secure stable housing in the future.
In San Diego, similar trends are emerging with individuals like Micah Huff. His strategy of avoiding enforcement led him to a secluded area, although police actions have pushed him further into the shadows. Huff, who has experienced multiple arrests and interactions with law enforcement, expressed a sentiment shared by many: “You’re just pushed further and further away.”
The city’s policing strategy, in light of the lack of sufficient shelter options, seems counterproductive. With the jump in enforcement following the ruling, many unhoused people across California find themselves in an ongoing cycle of ticketing and dispossession, making it even harder to find the stability they desperately seek.
As homeless service providers find themselves hampered by increasing police activity, outreach worker Armando Covarrubias from Hope the Mission acknowledged the challenges that such enforcement brings. The city’s cleaning and enforcement measures disrupt established patient relationships with the homeless community, making effective outreach increasingly difficult.
The legal ramifications of these policies are stark, with citations leading to complicated legal entanglements for many individuals experiencing homelessness. The cascading impacts of court dates, fines, and warrants can create barriers that prevent people from moving into permanent housing.
While some city officials laud the crackdowns on encampments as effective solutions to homelessness, service providers paint a different picture—one where increased enforcement complicates existing homelessness issues without adequately addressing the core problems.
For instance, San Diego police attribute an increase in homelessness-related arrests to prioritizing community policing, presenting statistics that suggest a drop in visible homelessness.
However, service providers on the ground point to how such strategies harm outreach efforts by disrupting attempts to connect individuals with necessary resources.
The debate continues, but one fact remains clear: as enforcement increases, the gap widens between those who seek help and the entities meant to provide it.
Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego each present unique stories within a broader narrative that reveals the struggle of homeless individuals in California against rigid policies that make escaping homelessness increasingly challenging. Without a sustainable approach to provide care and housing for individuals facing homelessness, the situation remains dire for many who have become entangled in a web of tickets and citations, often leading to more systemic homelessness rather than alleviation.
image source from：voiceofsandiego
