ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) – While San Diego is in the midst of its homeless encampment ban, the North County community of Escondido is getting ready to have its ordinance go into effect.
“We want to give our parks back to families, our parking lots back to businesses. And we hope that people will work with us on that,” Mayor Dane White of Escondido said.
Escondido’s homeless encampment ban - which was approved in late June - goes into effect in less than two weeks’ time.
“It includes a posted notice for the encampments, detailed instructions on how to retrieve your belongings, which are going to be stored for a minimum of 60 days at our Public Works yard,” White said. “And it also prioritizes some key in the city like environmentally sensitive areas, parking lots, parks, near schools. Things like that.”
The city’s ordinanceshows regardless of shelter space or beds, it’ll be illegal to camp within 500 feet of a school or shelter and at or near transit hubs, or parks.
Those posted notices the Mayor mentioned will have a date of when the encampment will be cleared; giving people at least a day to gather personal items.
It also says violations can result in misdemeanors and possible fines.
“We can enforce encampment regulations in certain parts of the city. But nothing is going to change until we have a place for these people to go,” White said.
10News asked him what’s Escondido’s plan for the unhoused given they have to go somewhere since sidewalks and other places soon won’t be an option.
White says the plan of the city’s homeless subcommittee is establishing policy and at the same time finding resources.
“That’s the conversation we’re focused on having now. Ideally, I would like to see something, you know, some sort of additional resource, whether it’s a shelter or whatever, here in Escondido, by next summer,” White said.
The Mayor said they’ve been working with local non-profits like Interfaith Community Services is increasing detox beds and shelter beds available in the community.
Interfaith’s CEO Greg Angela told 10News as their focus is on creating resources and ways out of homelessness, encampments like these are becoming more of the norm in communities they help the unhoused.
Angela said in a statement, “We are working in partnership with local cities, including Escondido, to secure new resources and create additional housing and supportive services to help reduce homelessness.”
