Ban on camping in public OK’d in Fresno County. ‘Not about homelessness,’ supervisor says

Camping by the homeless — or anyone else — on sidewalks or other public property in unincorporated areas of Fresno County will be prohibited under a new ordinance that received final approval Tuesday from the county’s Board of Supervisors.

The unanimous 5-0 vote comes a week after the city of Fresno adopted its own anti-camping ordinance covering areas within the city limits. The county ordinance was sponsored by Supervisor Steve Brandau, whose District 2 covers most of northeast and northwest Fresno.

The law received its initial approval two weeks ago. Following Tuesday’s formal adoption, the ordinance will take effect in 30 days.

The new law prohibits people from camping:

• On public property that’s not intended to serve as a campsite.
• On private property that’s not otherwise zoned for camping, or without permission of the property owner.
• On areas that would obstruct streets, sidewalks, alleys, trails, driveways by sitting, lying or sleeping or storing personal property.
• On any street, alley, sidewalk or other public property or right of way within 500 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds, child-care facilities or libraries; within 500 feet of railroad tracks or railroad property; within 100 feet of roadway over- or underpasses, freeway off- or on-ramps, tunnels or bridges; within 50 feet of a fire hydrant or designated fire lanes; or within 10 feet of driveways or loading docks.

In addition, the ordinance forbids bathing in public fountains or other public water features, or urinating or defecating on public property.

Homeless advocates speak out against county ordinance

A handful of speakers, including homeless advocates, complained that the law does little except to “criminalize” homelessness with fines of up to $500 or six months in jail if they refuse orders to move from their camping location. They urged supervisors to vote against the ordinance.

Bob McCloskey, a reporter with the Community Alliance newspaper and a volunteer who aids the homeless, argued against the characterizations that most people who live on the streets are drug users.

“I’d ask Mr. Brandau and others if you’ve ever gone out there, handed out sleeping bags or food or water, and actually met some of these folks that are out there in the county that are homeless,” McCloskey said. “I can tell you, a lot of them are elderly. A lot of them don’t use drugs.”

McCloskey acknowledged estimates by the Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care, which conducts an annual count of the homeless, that about 40% to 50% use drugs, “but when you look at drug rehabilitation programs and detox centers, there’s very few, and we all know that.”

“I meet people that are fragile out there, really fragile people, beautiful people that are warm and kind, yet they have a disability. They may have a physical disability; they may no longer be able to work,” he added. “And … a lot of these folks are out there because of the skyrocketing increases in rent.”

Another advocate, Fresno artist Brandi Nuse-Villegas, also noted the lack of resources available to help the homeless population. “People need stability to get jobs and to get what they need to get back on their feet,” she said. “We know we don’t have enough shelters and enough room, but even as people go into these, if they are not exited into permanent housing, we are not going to get the results, and people are going to continue to be out there.”

But, she added, “the largest growing group of (the homeless) are those on fixed incomes, according to the California Homeless Data Integration System ; that’s elderly and disabled, mostly priced out of rising costs.” Other segments of the homeless, Nuse-Villegas said, include young adults who have aged out of the foster-care system; persons with disabilities; lesbian, gay or transgender teens; and victims of domestic violence.

Brandau took the criticism in stride. “I do appreciate everybody who’s, you know, critical of the no-camping ordinance,” he said. “I think we’re really trying to approach the situation and sometimes with just different viewpoints on how to best improve the lives of people.”

He added, however, that the ordinance is “really not about homelessness.”

“It’s nobody has the right to go obstruct public places and create situations that are problematic for our business owners, our kids walking to school, and other issues,” Brandau said. “It’s about all the rest of us that are impacted by people who do things that are not right in the public space.”