By james art RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order for local governments to “urgently” deal with homeless encampments, the Inland Empire has collectively received about $34 million to help make that happen.
Statewide, Newsom allocated $131 million to two dozen cities and counties to crack down on encampments with tougher measures.
“We support the efforts of local communities to get people out of camps and connected to care and housing across the state,” Newsom said earlier this month. “The state has committed more than $27 billion to help local governments address the homelessness crisis — and we want to see $27 billion worth of results.”
The move to decriminalize the encampments in California came after the US Supreme Court decided to overturn Martin v. Boise, which had previously banned the criminalization of public camping if a homeless person does not have access to shelter. When the Supreme Court overturned the ruling on June 28, it meant local authorities could arrest people camping or sleeping on public property – even if there weren’t enough beds to shelter them.
Here’s how state funding is distributed across the Inland Empire:
- Riverside County – $12,612,779
- San Bernardino County – $11,000,000
- City of Victorville – $6,365,070
- City of Palm Springs – $5,106,731
- City of Redlands – $5,341,800
In the cities of Murrieta, Wildomar and Lake Elsinore, Riverside County funding will be used to address encampments along the Murrieta Creek Trail.
“We are honored to receive this award from the state,” a County of Riverside Housing Workforce Solutions spokesperson told Patch.
The funding will provide direct housing assistance for 100 people and cover the cost of temporary shelter, security deposits, moving costs and rent, the county said.
To ensure that those displaced from camps receive comprehensive care such as case management, housing navigation, behavioral health, workforce and more, funding will also go toward building a new multidisciplinary team from various county departments.
Two other camp permit funding awards went to addressing the Santa Ana and San Jacinto riverbeds, according to the county.
The county says more than 80 percent of people it served in the past stayed housed for more than three years.
In order for cities and counties to keep the funding provided by the state this month, Newsom expects cities and counties to implement stricter accountability measures. Many California communities have begun tightening restrictions on public camping, with some imposing outright bans.
In July, Palm Springs voted to pass an ordinance prohibiting people from sitting, lying or sleeping in public places at any time, KESQ reported. This week, Palm Springs police began “stepping up” enforcement of that ordinance, The Desert Sun reported.
Meanwhile, the city of Riverside passed a local ordinance Tuesday banning camping in most public places. Local authorities cited public safety and health concerns.
During Tuesday night’s Riverside City Council meeting, the acting city attorney said a 3-year-old child was exposed to fentanyl last year and stopped breathing. The child’s siblings, ages 2 and 5, were living in a car with their parents when the mother and father died due to suspected drug use. All the children were exposed, he said.
But not everyone agreed with the ordinance.
“We have enough research to know that we cannot criminalize our way out of the crisis,” said Dr. Chris Obert, CEO of Path of Life Ministries. “We have enough experience to know what goes on when we clear camps and tag tents in our town.”