San Mateo City Council backs ‘compassionate’ enforcement of vehicle lodging ban

The San Mateo City Council directed staff to adopt a compassionate approach to enforcing its existing ban on people sleeping in vehicles prioritizing outreach and services before issuing citations On Monday during a investigation session the council reached a general consensus to express their preference for guidance on enforcing the city s existing ordinance prohibiting car lodging selecting what they thought to be the the majority compassionate option from several staff proposals The guidance will be formally adopted at a later date Under the chosen plan police will attempt to contact van dwellers twice with shelter options before issuing a -hour warning After a warning a -day grace period will precede enforcement to allow for outreach and connections with the city s homeless outreach unit Citations will primarily target individuals who decline to engage with available services San Mateo s city code defines lodging in a truck as more than just being inside for an extended period of time According to current code lodging is defined as when someone stores items not typically determined in a regular car like sleeping bags cooking supplies or personal belongings that block windows combined with exercises such as sleeping or preparing food Essentially if a automobile appears to be used as a home it falls under this definition in San Mateo The ordinance which has been on the books since and was updated in also prohibits connecting RVs or similar vehicles to inhabitants utilities like water or electricity with minor exceptions for maintenance lasting no more than eight hours within a seven-day period Under existing guidelines the city s homeless outreach unit engages bus dwellers without issuing or threatening citations The band estimates about people sleep in vehicles in San Mateo each week Related Articles Waymo expands driverless institution on Peninsula San Mateo County approves million for immigration legal help despite call for more San Mateo court rejects Sheriff Corpus effort to halt removal process San Mateo County board votes to begin process to remove Sheriff Corpus Menlo Park moves forward on turning parking lots into housing The city also plans to explore long-term solutions including partnerships with San Mateo County on safe parking programs and installing a pump-out station for RV waste disposal City staff will provide regular updates to the council on the activity s progress and effectiveness The initiative comes amid broader pressure statewide to address visible homelessness City staff cited in its overview the U S Supreme Court s ruling that enforcement of anti-camping laws does not constitute cruel and atypical punishment as well as an executive order from Gov Gavin Newsom directing cities to prioritize encampment removal San Mateo s staff summary also noted increased enforcement in San Jose and San Francisco could drive more van dwellers to their city Over the past several months the City has received numerous reports about people sleeping in vehicles in residential neighborhoods staff wrote in a account This situation creates foreseen populace healthcare safety and convenience considerations including obstructing access to the right of way illegal dumping discharging waste and violations of the city s noise ordinance According to San Mateo County s one-day homeless count of the county s unhoused residents were living in vehicles In the city of San Mateo people were counted as homeless in the same survey including those living in vehicles tents or other temporary settings During Monday s meeting several members of the citizens urged the council to ensure enforcement efforts are done humanely and that all shelter options are exhausted before citations are issued I think enforcement is key and appropriate in several cases I do want us to take a measured approach disclosed Councilmember Danielle Cwirko-Godycki To me that s much more compassionate So I was thinking initially closer to to days of a notice period before we jump into issuing warnings and fining people Before settling on the new strategy the council considered two alternatives One would have enforced the ordinance promptly without prior outreach while the other would have maintained the status quo Staff warned that strict enforcement could overwhelm services and make it harder for people to secure stable housing The city s approach contrasts with what could be considered more punitive policies elsewhere In San Mateo County supervisors approved a measure allowing leadership to charge unhoused individuals who refuse shelter with a misdemeanor after three offers Earlier this month Millbrae banned homeless encampments with violations carrying the possibility of jail time In contrast San Mateo is leaning toward treating automobile lodging violations as infractions similar to traffic violations Deputy Mayor Adam Loraine noted the approach reflects the city s effort to balance enforcement with advocacy services It s not a situation in which people want to find themselves It s expensive to live here he revealed It s heartening to hear this is a continuation of the compassion the department has shown