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Fullerton is the latest Orange County city to look at tightening anti-camping policies in light of a Supreme Court decision that made it legal for cities to cite and arrest people sleeping on sidewalks and parks even if no shelter beds are available.
Previously, it was unlawful for a person to be punished for sleeping on public property unless the city had a certain number of shelter beds.
If Fullerton officials end up tightening the city’s anti-camping ordinance, the municipality will join a host Orange County cities that overhauled local anti-camping laws after the Supreme Court ruling – including Anaheim, Brea, Irvine and Santa Ana.
[Read: Another Orange County City Cracks Down on Homeless Camps]
It comes as advocates throughout OC say the crackdowns will lead to the criminalization of homeless people, while proponents of anti-camping laws say it helps keep public places like parks safer and cleaner.
Last week, Fullerton City Council members considered what the next steps are for the city’s homelessness population — which has increased in the past two years — and directed city staff to bring back anti-camping proposals in March.
Staff is currently assessing enforcement impacts from neighboring cities and will return with proposed ordinance updates.
Councilman Ahmad Zahra said at the meeting that he thought the city has improved their ability to get homeless people off of the streets temporarily, but needed to strengthen long-term solutions.
“While we’ve accomplished quite a bit on the short term, long-term solutions haven’t really been invested in properly,” Zahra said at the Feb. 4 meeting.
“How can we differentiate these individuals and prioritize the people that do want these services and see if we can get them off the street? I think that’s half the problem. I know we need to get them into permanent housing, but I think we also need to get them off the street,” he said.
The last time Fullerton updated their homelessness legislation was in December 2023, when they passed an ordinance prohibiting camping near city buildings, hospitals, roads and other types of properties “vital to the city’s operation,” according to the staff report.
Meanwhile, the 2024 Point in Time report showed that Fullerton had 434 homeless people, with 208 of those unhoused.
In 2022, Fullerton had 272 homeless people, with 202 unhoused.
In that timeframe, the city almost tripled their sheltered beds service, according to Mayor Fred Jung.
“There’s real numbers in here that are concerning to me,” Jung said at the Feb. 4 meeting. “I think we have a fiduciary duty to stop this kind of activity as best as we can. And obviously we are providing the necessary services, and we’re just not getting this number down.”
Fullerton has spent $4.53 million contributing to the North SPA Navigation centers over five years, which financially supports 290 shelter beds.
The city also spends over $780,000 on the Fullerton Navigation Center annually, which funds 40 emergency shelter beds and 110 recuperative care beds.
Officials also offer a motel voucher program which is funded with federal money.
At the meeting, city officials warned that in future years, Fullerton may need to boost the city’s general fund to keep homeless services at the same level.
Deputy City Manager Daisy Perez said there was a recent decrease in state funding, which helps pay for the North SPA shelter.
She also said that the federal money being used to help fund the Fullerton Navigation Center is running out. Fullerton received nearly $2 million of COVID relief money in 2021.
It comes as the city grapples with a $9.5 million budget deficit this fiscal year, and it’s projected to reach $20 million within the next two years.
[Read: How Can Fullerton Prevent a Projected $20 Million Spending Deficit in Three Years?]
Fullerton also cleans encampments bimonthly, and spends $180,000 annually on the efforts, City Manager Eric Levitt said.
Eleven arrests have been made for violations of the encampment ordinance, according to Fullerton Police Chief Jon Radus.
Emily Wilson is a Voice of OC intern. You can reach her at egwilson33@gmail.com or on Twitter @ewilssson.
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