Encampments

Los Angeles Council Votes to Allow Towing of Illegally Parked RVs, Sparking Debate Over Homeless Encampments

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Los Angeles, California – In an effort to address safety and sanitation issues exacerbated by recreational vehicles (RVs) used for habitation, the Los Angeles City Council approved new measures on Friday allowing for the more expedient towing of illegally parked vehicles across vast areas of the city. This legislative move primarily targets the large number of RVs that have become makeshift homes and have proliferated following the end of a pandemic-related towing moratorium two years ago. Under the newly adopted rules, city workers are granted increased freedom to tow vehicles that pose a direct public … Read more

Florida Enacts Law to Ban Homeless from Public Property, Sparks Controversy and Concerns of Forced Encampments

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Tampa, Florida – Stephanie Bennett has called a tent in the woods her home for the past eight years. Recently, she learned about a new law that could make living in her tent illegal. The legislation, known as “Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping” (HB 1365), has been sent to Governor Ron DeSantis to sign. If passed, the law will prohibit people from camping or sleeping on public property in local municipalities. Under the proposed law, municipalities will be required to designate a specific public space for camping and sleeping, provided they receive approval from … Read more

Supreme Court to Review Controversial Rulings on Homeless Encampments in Western US Cities

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Grants Pass, a city in southwest Oregon, has received support from California Governor Gavin Newsom, as well as other Democratic and Republican elected officials, in its appeal to the Supreme Court. The city is challenging lower-court rulings that have made it more difficult for cities in the western United States to regulate homelessness and prevent people from sleeping on the streets when there is a shortage of beds in homeless shelters. Rising housing costs and income inequality have contributed to a rise in homelessness in many cities. The decision by the Supreme Court to review … Read more