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2024 was the year California cracked down on homeless encampments.
Fed up with tents taking up sidewalks, parks and vacant lots, officials throughout the state ramped up efforts to remove camps – sometimes even resorting to arresting people for illegal camping.
The biggest shift came in June with the Grants Pass v. Johnson Supreme Court ruling, which gives cities new authority to arrest, cite and fine people for sleeping outside in public places – even if there is no shelter available. Gov. Gavin Newsom quickly followed the ruling with an order of his own : He demanded state agencies clear homeless encampments, and urged cities to do the same or risk losing out on state funding.
California cities were quick to react . A little more than two months after the court ruling, more than two dozen cities and counties had passed or proposed new ordinances banning camping, or updated existing ordinances to make them more punitive. Unhoused Californians, as well as the activists who fight for their rights, told CalMatters that sweeps had become more frequent and more aggressive.