FRESNO, Calif. – The city of Fresno joined a growing list of California cities banning people from sitting, sleeping and lying in public spaces.
The decision – received with controversy – comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Grants Pass ruling empowered local governments to penalize people who camp on public property.
Locally, the Fresno ordinance imposes a fine of up to $1,000 or a year of jail for anyone found in violation. The policy, which is a revival of a 2017 ordinance, will go into effect Sept. 15.
Before their final decision, dozens of unhoused residents and advocates pleaded for city officials to vote against the ordinance. Many said it would create an “endless cycle” in homeless shelters, particularly for those who suffer from mental illness.
“Our mental health facilities are already limited in their capacity to help our general population,” resident Nancy Donnet said. “If you're an inpatient in behavioral health, get discharged and don't have a place to go – you're given a list of homeless shelters. This is a revolving door that won't be helpful.”
Community leaders, such as homeless activist Dez Martinez, called on the city to provide more resources and affordable housing options for the unhoused. In 2022, the city committed $40 million to boost shelter space, affordable housing and rental assistance for low-income families.
Martinez runs the nonprofit We Are Not Invisible, which aims to provide resources to the unhoused. Speaking before the council, she used her permitted public comment minutes to “pay respect” to those who have died of overdose on the streets of Fresno.
Martinez carried a small bag, filled with 121 marbles, and dropped them one by one into a glass bowl. The clink of the marbles echoed through the chambers.
More than 4,000 people experienced homelessness last year in the Fresno-Madera area, according to the most recent point-in-time count. In Fresno, about 1,500 of those are considered “unsheltered” after factoring those who have access to shelters and other resources, city leaders estimate.
Council president Analisa Perea was the only “no” vote on the ordinance, citing vague language that could be difficult to enforce.
“While I can respect the spirit of what my colleagues and I are trying to achieve, I think it leaves a lot of room for interpretation that may not be the intent, at least for me, for this item,” Perea said.
County also taking on homelessness
A report from the news website Fresnoland revealed the city is interested in converting a law enforcement facility near Caruthers, about 15 miles south of Fresno into a homeless shelter.
The city discussed the potential action during its closed session meeting on Thursday.
But Fresno County, which oversees the facility, was quick to respond. Shortly after the Fresnoland report was published, county officials sent out a press release stating the facility would “not be suitable” for the city’s proposal due to its remote location and lack of access to behavioral health, medical and social services.
Additionally, the county said that any proposed use of the Elkhorn facility as a homeless shelter “would not be supported by the State due to [its] position on the importance of strategic shelter locations that provide accessible supportive services.”
The county said it’s willing to discuss with the city any “viable city or county-owned sites that best meet the needs of the unhoused population.”
Fresno County supervisors, meanwhile, are also taking on homelessness with an anti-camping ordinance of their own, which they plan to take up later this month.
