In a small, oil-stained alley in Lengthy Seaside, below a yellow bedsheet tied to a chain-link fence, Fernando Gonzalez sat cross-legged, preventing off sleep amid the summer season warmth.
Till not too long ago, the 55-year-old had been dwelling with a few dozen homeless individuals at Gumbiner Park, a tiny inexperienced area close by, throughout from the Museum of Latin American Artwork.
Outreach staff had visited the location for weeks, providing shelter beds and motel vouchers to individuals whereas warning them that the town would quickly begin imposing its anti-camping legal guidelines.
That enforcement kicked off final week when police and metropolis crews confirmed as much as clear the world and fence it off for upkeep work. It was one in every of 4 parks focused after being recognized as hassle spots.
Gonzalez didn’t fault the town for clearing the area. He understood residents disliked the encampment. However he was pissed off that metropolis staff couldn’t discover him a mattress earlier than he was pressured to go away the park.
“Right here I’m, asking to go indoors whereas others flip the assistance away,” he mentioned. “It’s simply unfair.”
A homeless man, middle, confronts metropolis staff, who’re accompanied by police, as an encampment is cleared Aug. 19 at Gumbiner Park in Lengthy Seaside.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Occasions)
He and two others moved to the alley to be nearer to the park, considering to make it simpler for metropolis staff to seek out them. However after greater than every week, they mentioned nobody had stopped by.
California cities have lengthy struggled to control public tenting after courtroom rulings made it unconstitutional to implement anti-camping legal guidelines towards homeless individuals.
However two months in the past, lawmakers and regulation enforcement officers bought a break when the Supreme Courtroom dominated that public entities may ban individuals from sleeping or tenting on public property, even when they’d nowhere else to go.
Gov. Gavin Newsom applauded the ruling and ordered state companies to start out clearing encampments on state land; he urged counties and cities to do the identical and threatened to withhold cash from them in the event that they didn’t make progress in eradicating individuals from the streets.
“If we don’t see demonstrable outcomes, I’ll begin to redirect cash,” he mentioned on the time. “It is a sincerely held perception that we want native authorities to step up. It is a disaster. Act prefer it.”
In response, Lengthy Seaside introduced it could begin clearing problematic encampments or these proof against homeless providers.
The town’s record included encampments on the Billie Jean King Library and its adjoining park. It additionally included Veterans Park, Gumbiner Park and Jenni Rivera Memorial Park.
Deputy Metropolis Supervisor Teresa Chandler mentioned the town compiled the record from knowledge it had collected by means of residential complaints, police responses and from outreach staff.
Though the town deliberate to difficulty citations and presumably make arrests, it mentioned it could proceed to concentrate on a “human-centered” method to clearing encampments by first providing shelter and motel vouchers.
“It’s a stability,” she mentioned. “I don’t need to trigger extra hurt and add extra stress to individuals as they’re transferring.
“You realize, they’ve essential paperwork like IDs and start certificates,” she added. “And whenever you’re transferring rather a lot, you’re extra more likely to lose these issues. After which it’s all that tougher for our case managers to spherical these objects up once more.”
Chandler mentioned she additionally anxious that clearing encampments would trigger individuals to scatter all through the town and make it tougher for outreach staff to find them. Homeless individuals generally don’t conform to take up affords of shelter till after a number of visits by staff.
There are 3,376 individuals experiencing homelessness in Lengthy Seaside, of which 72% of the inhabitants lives in tents or makeshift shelters, in response to the town’s 2024 homeless rely.
After spending about $60 million on addressing homelessness, the town noticed a 2% lower for the primary time in seven years, in response to the homeless rely.
Nonetheless, the town, like many different municipalities within the state, lacks transitional housing, in addition to extra everlasting housing that will release the shorter-term models. State data present that the town plans to construct 18,655 housing models, an effort that started in 2021 and is supposed to increase by means of 2029. Not less than 6,995 models have been anticipated to be constructed during the last three years, however the metropolis fell in need of that objective by 31%, state knowledge present.
The town additionally wants about 885 extra shelter beds for its 2,455 unsheltered individuals, in response to metropolis data. Chandler mentioned the town had 1,300 beds and deliberate so as to add 277 within the close to future, a few of which might be offered to {couples}.
Nonetheless, metropolis officers acknowledge the scarcity underscores a necessity for a compassionate method.
In a written assertion, the Lengthy Seaside Police Division mentioned it could proceed to help the town’s plan in addressing encampments however wouldn’t hesitate to implement the regulation.
“The police division routinely participates in [city] encampment clear ups, following outreach efforts, and can proceed to take action,” the assertion mentioned. However “whether or not taking part within the interdepartmental method or responding to considerations from residents and companies, Lengthy Seaside cops are usually not precluded from taking discretionary enforcement motion to scale back crime or improve security based mostly on the totality of circumstances they encounter.”
Two weeks in the past, the town introduced it could start to crack down on encampments that pose a menace to public well being and security. The town mentioned it could give police the discretion to difficulty citations for violating the town’s anti-camping enforcement. They mentioned police would additionally make arrests if different crimes have been additionally dedicated.
Lengthy Seaside metropolis and police officers didn’t reply to additional questions on the price of fines or the variety of citations that will result in an arrest.
The town prosecutor couldn’t be reached for remark.
Chandler mentioned the objective is to attach with individuals earlier than taking a extra aggressive method.
“We can not arrest our method out of homelessness, we’ve to have housing, and we’ve to have help for individuals,” she mentioned. “We have to hook up with the individuals dwelling in these tents with a purpose to actually make a distinction.
“Even when individuals obtain citations,” she added, “we even have applications that may circle individuals again to supportive providers.”
Residents and companies The Occasions spoke with authorised of the town’s new effort to handle encampments.
Austin Metoyer, president and chief govt of the Downtown Lengthy Seaside Alliance, a nonprofit that manages the town’s downtown enchancment districts, mentioned the encampments had prompted an array of issues for enterprise house owners together with property harm, defecation and harassment of consumers.
“They’re blissful to see some motion,” Metoyer mentioned. “I do suppose the method that the town is taking is truthful. We’re not going to resolve this downside by pushing individuals to a special space; we’re going to wish housing.”
Gumbiner Park is fenced off after being cleared of a homeless encampment. It was one in every of 4 parks focused by Lengthy Seaside.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Occasions)
On the park adjoining to the Billie Jean King Library, Pedro Martinez, 50, daughter Heidie, 27, and 4-year-old granddaughter Marelle have been strolling round, noticing the dearth of tents within the space.
Martinez mentioned each time he visited the library along with his granddaughter, he must enter by means of the entrance to keep away from the homeless individuals congregated behind the library.
“It wasn’t that nice,” he mentioned.
“We perceive that they need assistance,” his daughter mentioned, “however I consider they shouldn’t be in sure locations like proper right here as a result of children can’t presumably play.”
However trying round, they have been blissful to see the park was principally away from homeless individuals.
Close by, a girl practiced capturing a basketball, kids performed on swing units, and folks walked their canines.
Daria Crocket, 44, who sleeps exterior of the library subsequent to the park, mentioned cops had advised her she and others couldn’t camp out within the space anymore.
“It’s disappointing,” Crocket mentioned. “It makes me really feel like I’ve no rights.”
Sitting on a blue tenting chair below the shade of a tree, Crocket mentioned regardless of the warnings by police she deliberate to remain within the space.
“It might in all probability be safer for me to go to jail,” she mentioned. “Individuals have tried to rape me earlier than.”
She paused for just a few seconds, getting up from the chair and slowly strolling towards the library earlier than mumbling: “However I don’t need no document.”
