In a small, oil-stained alley in Lengthy Seaside, beneath a yellow bedsheet tied to a chain-link fence, Fernando Gonzalez sat cross-legged, combating off sleep amid the summer time warmth.
Till not too long ago, the 55-year-old had been dwelling with a few dozen homeless folks at Gumbiner Park, a tiny inexperienced area close by, throughout from the Museum of Latin American Artwork.
Outreach staff had visited the positioning for weeks, providing shelter beds and motel vouchers to folks whereas warning them that town would quickly begin implementing its anti-camping legal guidelines.
That enforcement kicked off final week when police and metropolis crews confirmed as much as clear the realm and fence it off for upkeep work. It was certainly one of 4 parks focused after being recognized as hassle spots.
Gonzalez didn’t fault 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 depart the park.
“Here I am, asking to go indoors while others turn the help away,” he stated. “It’s just unfair.”
A homeless man, heart, 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 Instances)
He and two others moved to the alley to be nearer to the park, hoping to make it simpler for metropolis staff to search out them. However after greater than every week, they stated, nobody had stopped by.
California cities have lengthy struggled to control public tenting after court docket rulings made it unconstitutional to implement anti-camping legal guidelines towards homeless folks.
However two months in the past, lawmakers and legislation enforcement officers received a break when the Supreme Courtroom dominated that public entities may ban folks from sleeping or tenting on public property, even when they’d nowhere else to go.
“If we don’t see demonstrable results, I’ll start to redirect money,” he stated on the time. “This is a sincerely held belief that we need local government to step up. This is a crisis. Act like it.”
In response, Lengthy Seaside introduced it could begin clearing problematic encampments or these proof against homeless companies.
Town’s listing 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 stated town compiled the listing from information it had collected by residential complaints, police responses and from outreach staff.
Though town deliberate to concern citations and probably make arrests, it stated it could proceed to concentrate on a “human-centered” strategy to clearing encampments by first providing shelter and motel vouchers.
“It’s a balance,” she stated. “I don’t want to cause more harm and add more stress to people as they’re moving.
“You know, they have important documents like IDs and birth certificates,” she added. “And when you’re moving a lot, you’re more likely to lose those things. And then it’s all that more challenging for our case managers to round those items up again.”
Chandler stated she additionally apprehensive that clearing encampments would trigger folks to scatter all through town and make it tougher for outreach staff to find them. Homeless folks generally don’t comply with take up provides of shelter till after a number of visits by staff.
There are 3,376 folks experiencing homelessness in Lengthy Seaside, 72% of whom stay in tents or makeshift shelters, in keeping with town’s 2024 homeless rely.
After spending about $60 million on addressing homelessness, town noticed a 2% lower for the primary time in seven years, in keeping with the homeless rely.
Nonetheless, town, like many different municipalities within the state, lacks transitional housing, in addition to extra everlasting housing that may release the shorter-term models. State data present that town plans to construct 18,655 housing models, an effort that started in 2021 and is supposed to increase by 2029. At the least 6,995 models have been anticipated to be constructed during the last three years, however the metropolis fell wanting that purpose by 31%, state information present.
Town additionally wants about 885 extra shelter beds for its 2,455 unsheltered folks, in keeping with metropolis data. Chandler stated town had 1,300 beds and deliberate so as to add 277 within the close to future, a few of which can be offered to {couples}.
Nonetheless, metropolis officers acknowledge the scarcity underscores a necessity for a compassionate strategy.
In a written assertion, the Lengthy Seaside Police Division stated it could proceed to help town’s plan in addressing encampments however wouldn’t hesitate to implement the legislation.
“The police department routinely participates in [city] encampment clean ups, following outreach efforts, and will continue to do so,” the assertion stated. However whether or not collaborating within the interdepartmental strategy or responding to considerations from residents and companies, Lengthy Seaside law enforcement officials should not precluded from taking discretionary enforcement motion to cut back crime or improve security primarily based on the totality of circumstances they encounter.”
Two weeks in the past, town introduced it could start to crack down on encampments that pose a menace to public well being and security. Town stated it could give police the discretion to concern citations for violating town’s anti-camping legislation. It stated police would additionally make arrests if different crimes have been dedicated.
Lengthy Seaside metropolis and police officers didn’t reply to additional questions on the price of fines or the variety of citations that may result in an arrest. Town prosecutor couldn’t be reached for remark.
Chandler stated the purpose is to attach with folks earlier than taking a extra aggressive strategy.
“We cannot arrest our way out of homelessness, we have to have housing, and we have to have support for people,” she stated. “We need to connect to the people living in those tents in order to really make a difference.
“Even if people receive citations,” she added, “we also have programs that will circle people back to supportive services.”
Residents and companies The Instances spoke with authorised of town’s new effort to handle encampments.
Austin Metoyer, president and chief govt of the Downtown Lengthy Seaside Alliance, a nonprofit that manages town’s downtown enchancment districts, stated the encampments had triggered an array of issues for enterprise homeowners — together with property injury, public defecation and harassment of consumers.
“They’re happy to see some action,” Metoyer stated. “I do think the approach that the city is taking is fair. We’re not going to solve this problem by pushing people to a different area; we’re going to need housing.”
Gumbiner Park is fenced off after being cleared of a homeless encampment. It was certainly one of 4 parks focused by Lengthy Seaside.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Instances)
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 shortage of tents within the space.
Martinez stated each time he visited the library together with his granddaughter, he must enter by the entrance to keep away from the homeless folks congregated behind the library.
“It wasn’t that great,” he stated.
“We understand that they need help,” his daughter stated, “but I believe they shouldn’t be in certain places like right here because kids can’t possibly play.”
However trying round, they have been completely satisfied to see the park was principally away from homeless folks.
Close by, a lady practiced taking pictures a basketball, kids performed on swing units and folks walked their canine.
Daria Crocket, 44, who sleeps outdoors of the library subsequent to the park, stated law enforcement officials had advised her she and others couldn’t camp within the space anymore.
“It’s disappointing,” Crocket stated. “It makes me feel like I have no rights.”
Sitting on a blue tenting chair beneath the shade of a tree, Crocket stated that — regardless of the warnings by police — she deliberate to remain within the space.
“It would probably be safer for me to go to jail,” she stated. “People have tried to rape me before.”
She paused for a couple of seconds, getting up from the chair and slowly strolling towards the library earlier than mumbling: “But I don’t want no record.”
