La Quinta looks to propose ordinance banning homeless encampment
Kendall Flynn
LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – The City of La Quinta is proposing an ordinance banning homeless camping on public property, making such camping a misdemeanor. However, some local homeless advocates are calling for it to stop.
This comes after La Quinta sheriff’s officials report an increase in homeless encampments along the underpasses of busy roadway’s. The La Quinta City Council discussed the ordinance May 6, but did not put the ordinance to a vote. The ordinance’s proposal is expected for May 20.
Officials with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are pushing the ordinance, as they said it’s important to improve the City’s quality of life.
“The ordinance gives the sheriff’s department a lot more options when it’s dealing with homeless camping,” Lt. Frank Velasco said.
Velasco said the homeless population in La Quinta in small, with just eight people in the most recent point-in-time count. However, he said the population is transient, meaning they aren’t staying permanently. But he said they have a great impact on the city either way.
“The ordinance needed to be expanded in order for the sheriff’s department to be able to actually monitor some of the encampments coming up,” Velasco said. “It ends up causing sanitation issues – clean up issues for the city.”
According to the May 6 council discussion, with the ordinance, officials goal is to persuade unhoused people to relocate to another part of the city or use services provided by services in the Valley. If both options are refused, they can be arrested for a misdemeanor.
Matthew Naylor, the president of Well in the Desert said there aren’t enough services in the Valley for the ordinance to be efficient. He sent an email to the La Quinta City Council calling for them to stop the ordinance.
“Homeless individuals are all human and they have their different individual story in their life,” Naylor said. “The City of La Quinta and other cities in our county they should get together and talk about homelessness as a group so that we can find the solutions together.”
Well in the Desert primarily works with the homeless population in Palm Springs, a city that has a homeless arrest ordinance. Naylor said it doesn’t work.
“When the Palm Springs police chief announced that he has arrested a thousand individuals, and no I’m feeding more people, it shows that didn’t work,” Naylor said. “So why do we want another city in the Valley arresting people when it’s not working?”
For the full ordinance proposal see page 347 of the La Quinta City Council May 6 agenda here www.laquintaca.gov
Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from La Quinta city officials and from Well in the Desert organizers on how this will impact the homeless population.