Riverside’s Renewed Fight Against Homelessness: Enforcement and Compassion
"The recent decision in the Supreme Court Grants Pass case will enhance our city’s efforts as an additional tool in our arsenal to navigate and mitigate the complex issue of homelessness."
As Mayors across the country grapple with homelessness and public safety challenges, Riverside remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing these critical issues. The recent decision in the Supreme Court Grants Pass case will enhance our city’s efforts as an additional tool in our arsenal to navigate and mitigate the complex issue of homelessness.
Before the ruling, the City of Riverside actively removed encampments using our Anti-Camping Ordinance, including sections that prohibit camping in the wildland-urban interface, such as the Santa Ana River bottom. The Grants Pass decision, coupled with Governor Newsom’s Executive Order, re-affirms the city’s authority to enforce local ordinances designed to deter illegal activity by all people, not just people experiencing homelessness.
In light of the recent decisions, we are beginning the process of reviewing our current Anti-Camping Ordinance, which was initially written and approved in 2022 with the 9th Circuit case in mind. Our goal is to evaluate the need for any potential enforcement revisions to address quality-of-life issues and maintain safety and order in our public spaces.
A critical component of our city’s approach to addressing homelessness is the Public Safety and Engagement Team (PSET), a program approved by City Council in early 2019. This multi-department approach is designed to maintain order in public places while also providing homeless individuals with a pathway out of homelessness. PSET team members specialize in providing resources and assistance while also addressing issues of unlawful panhandling, camping, abandoned personal belongings, and vagrancy.
In May 2022, the City Council approved an expansion of the PSET Team to include an Urban Team, focused on encampment removal in public rights-of-way, and a Wildland Team, dedicated to enforcing the Anti-Camping Ordinance in environmentally sensitive areas. Earlier this year, City Council also approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to allow PSET to promptly address homeless encampments on district properties.
Both the Urban and Wildland PSET are comprised of police, fire, code enforcement, homeless outreach, and behavioral health. In FY 2023/2024, they have:
Visited 6,357 different locations where homeless reside.
Made 5,748 contacts with homeless individuals, which included multiple contacts with the same individuals, and offered services.
531 individuals have accepted services.
Over 2,150 code enforcement notices have been issued for property removal.
Removed 326.87 tons of trash
Riverside’s strategy to address homelessness is multi-faceted, combining enforcement with supportive services. While removing encampments remains a critical component, our approach also integrates homeless outreach and mental health partners to provide the appropriate services to our unhoused community. As we confront this challenge head-on, we always offer services first as part of our continuous three-pronged approach of prevention, intervention, and enforcement to assist people in getting off the street and into shelter. Preventing vulnerable groups like Transitional Aged Youth (TAY), older adults, and veterans from falling into homelessness is critical.
In January of 2023, I launched a Challenge to End Youth Homelessness, which has made significant strides. Through partnerships with 21 agencies, we achieved a remarkable 58% reduction in youth experiencing homelessness. Currently, 26% of the affected youth have a HomeConnect Referral, and 16% are awaiting a home connection. To further support these efforts, the city will secure two additional TAY Case Managers to assist with housing the individuals awaiting a home connection and navigate any new TAYs through our homeless response system. We also eagerly anticipate The Aspire Project, a development of 32 permanent supportive housing units for TAY.
Riverside has also been a leader in advocating for updates to the state’s outdated mental health laws. Our advocacy efforts in Sacramento were instrumental in Riverside County becoming one of the first counties in the state to implement a CARE Court program. Though these updates will take time, these are the first meaningful changes to our mental health laws in over 50 years.
To uplift these efforts, I recently launched a Public Safety Neighborhood Tour to connect residents with resources provided by the Riverside Police Department, Fire Department, Code Enforcement, and the City Attorney’s Office. These events allow residents to learn about available resources and voice their safety concerns. The final two stops on the Public Safety Neighborhood Tour are scheduled for:
September 10th at 6 pm at the Hunt Park Renck Center featuring Councilmember Mill
September 24th at 6 pm at the Riverside Airport Café featuring Councilmember Robillard
Interested residents are encouraged to join; RSVP to 2mayor@riversideca.gov to secure your spot! Through these comprehensive efforts, Riverside remains committed to addressing homelessness and enhancing public safety in our community.
Santa Ana Watershed's cloud seeding added 11,000 acre-feet of snow, but the next phase is postponed due to wildfire risks. California enters the new water year with strong reserves.
