Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua proposed on Tuesday a new ordinance that aims to take stronger actions against homeless encampments in the name of keeping the community clean and safe, she says.
“We don't want you defecating on our streets. We don't want to assault our children in our community. We don't want you injecting drugs on our bus stops,” Amezcua said in regards to unsheltered residents living in encampments. “We need to clean up our city.”
The proposed ordinance would ban sleeping in tents, public restrooms, on benches or in cars. It would also restrict staying at the civic center or a public park between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. It additionally would block access to buildings and sidewalks.
According to the mayor, the enforcement would prioritize schools, parks and residential areas.
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Amezcua points to the two shelters the city has, which has a capacity of 600 beds combined. However, with the latest homeless count stating there were 871 unsheltered individuals living in Santa Ana, that leaves more than 200 people without shelter.
“Our city pretty much villainizes humans like homeless people,” said Anthony Delgado, a Santa Ana resident. “So, that's pretty much what they're trying to just get them out of the way because they make our city look dirty when they're not fixing the problem.”
Santa Ana isn’t the only Orange County city attempting to crack down on encampments. Anaheim, Newport Beach, San Clemente and Aliso Viejo have revamped their anti-camping laws following the Supreme Court’s ruling that allows cities to fine and arrest people for camping and sleeping outdoors.
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Amezcua stressed that her proposal doesn’t aim to incarcerate unhoused individuals, but it would cite those who refuse services.
“There are organizations that we can refer to, but if they're going to continue to be on the streets and refuse any services at all, I would hope that they would be cited for an instruction that could be a misdemeanor,” she said. “But are we going to fill the jail? No, we're not.”
