Chula Vista officially bans homeless encampments; advocates raise concerns
CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The Chula Vista City Council officially voted Tuesday to ban homeless encampments as it continues to deal with the ongoing crisis, like so many other cities in the county and state.
The ordinance’s unanimous approval prohibits anyone from camping within 1,000 feet of schools, city parks, emergency shelters, sensitive conservation areas and major transit stops. Sitting, lying, sleeping or storing personal property where ADA access is blocked is also banned.
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann said the change is critical.
“If homeless people want to get help for addictions or mental issues we will offer that help, but they can’t be out in our parks and they can’t be in front of children shooting up,” McCann said.
He pointed to issues with drug-use and prostitution as the driving forces behind the closure of Harborside Park in 2022.
McCann added that the city officials expect the park to reopen at the end of the year, but with the addition of a park ranger to enforce hours of operation. Meanwhile, the new law isn’t sitting well with homeless advocates.
“One thing that I haven’t really heard any dialogue about is the fact that an overwhelming amount of respondents spoke to job loss when they were interviewed being on the streets in Chula Vista and again there’s nothing concrete in this ordinance that addresses that or really the poverty that puts someone in this position,” according to Community Advocates for Just and Moral Governance Deputy Executive Director, Sebastian Martinez.
Martinez also said that laws like this only push homeless people around to other parts of the county without solving the problem. He’s now left wondering what enforcement will look like.
“How do you decide what someone unhoused looks like. There are so many civil liberty conversations to have there that are going to be really interesting,” Martinez said.
McCann said a small outreach team of about 30, made up of social workers and police, will keep tabs on any violations once the law takes effect.
“We’re going to offer them help multiple times to get them off the streets, but after that, they’ll get a citation and potentially even more of enforcement,” McCann said.
Chula Vista is now one of seven of the county’s largest cities to ban homeless encampments, with others considering similar laws. After Tuesday’s vote by city council, the new law will take effect in 30 days.