"Houston's plan, unveiled on Thursday night, would enable Oakland to shut down encampments regardless of whether the city has other shelter to offer residents. Currently, outreach workers are required to offer alternatives living arrangements before a camp is cleared."
"The city's existing policy says Oakland "will not cite or arrest any individual solely for camping, or otherwise for the status of being homeless," but the proposal slashes that provision."
"In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that local government camping bans are legal, even when no other shelter is available. Opponents of these bans had argued that they violate the constitution because they amount to cruel and unusual punishment of people who have nowhere else to go."
Oakland would change encampment policy to allow clearing camps even when no shelter is available, removing the requirement that outreach workers offer alternative housing before clearing. The proposal would permit police to cite or arrest people camping in prohibited areas, eliminating the city's prior policy against citing or arresting individuals solely for camping or for being homeless. The change is proposed by District 7 Councilmember Ken Houston and appears on the Sept. 10 council committee agenda. The proposal follows a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding local camping bans and mirrors stricter approaches adopted by nearby cities and state signals to close more camps.
Read at The Oaklandside
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