Following a Supreme Court ruling, California Governor Newsom directed agencies to clear homeless encampments, leading to new ordinances enforcing camping bans in various cities. The template ordinance prohibits public camping that obstructs sidewalks and mandates housing efforts before camp clearances. Local governments are encouraged to adapt policies, following principles that limit criminalization of homelessness and prioritize support services. The ordinance stresses the humane treatment of the unhoused, addressing the broader issues of homelessness beyond simple enforcement.
Policies that prohibit individuals from sleeping outside anywhere in the jurisdiction without offering adequate indoor shelter, effectively banishing homeless individuals from the jurisdiction's borders, are both inhumane and impose externalities on neighboring jurisdictions.
The model encourages local governments to tailor policies to their needs, but calls on them to follow basic principles, including limits on criminal punishment for sleeping outside.
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