California city votes to criminalize helping people in homeless camps

A Bay Area city voted Tuesday to criminalize “aiding” or “abetting” homeless camps, an apparent first-of-its-kind measure that could make it harder for unhoused people to receive food, medical care and other services.

The action by the city of Fremont, California, comes after a Supreme Court ruling in June that emboldened communities across the country to limit protections for people without homes. The court’s decision in Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson lets cities ban homeless residents from sleeping outside, even when a community lacks indoor shelter beds.

In its wake, more than 150 cities have adopted laws banning homeless camps through policies that outlaw camping or sleeping in public places, such as sidewalks or parks, or prohibit storing private property on public land, according to the National Homelessness Law Center. More than 40 of those cities are in California.

Across the bay from San Francisco, the Fremont city council went a step further, voting 6-1 Tuesday to adopt a policy that not only bans homeless camps, but also makes it a misdemeanor for any person to aid or abet one. The provision, which takes effect in 30 days, does not define what constitutes “aiding” or “abetting” an encampment — which homelessness experts say leaves a concerning gap.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/12/california-city-helping-homeless-camps/