The L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a motion on Tuesday to use a “care first” approach in dealing with homeless encampments while insisting that county jails will not be used to hold people arrested due to enforcement of anti-camping ordinances.

The motion came following a June 28 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that authorized governments to enforce anti-camping laws even if no alternate housing is available. The decision allows punishments for violating anti-camping laws, including citations or arrests.

The court removed the Eighth Amendment protection of “cruel and unusual punishment” and allows cities to cite or arrest people for camping, sitting, sleeping, or lying in public spaces, even if no shelter beds or other resources exist.

“Unfortunately, in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, cities across the country are already seizing the opportunity to establish anti-camping ordinances,” Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath wrote in a motion that went before the board, “Moving people from one community to another does not resolve their homelessness.”

“We are not criminalizing poverty or homelessness,” said Third District Supervisor and Board Chair Lindsey Horvath, who represents most of the Westside. “L.A. County jails will not be held for people arrested solely with regard to anti-encampment practices.”

Horvath said she sympathized with those in the community.

“We are all frustrated with encampments that block sidewalks and RVs that block our roadways,” Horvath said. “I understand everyone is out of patience. We are too, but people just don’t disappear.”

Supervisor Janice Hahn said many cities are experiencing “encampment fatigue.” and said some of those cities see the Supreme Court ruling as untying their hands. “They are tired of seeing encampments when they go to work or take their kids to school. But our jails are not the appropriate space to put someone experiencing homelessness.”

Supervisors heard from representatives from the CEO’s Homeless Initiative, County Counsel, L.A. Sheriff Robert Luna, and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority about the impact of the Grants Pass ruling on homelessness initiatives and the implications on unhoused individuals.

Those officials insisted that programs like the county’s Pathway Home and the city of Los Angeles’ Inside Safe have made significant progress in bringing people out of encampments and into temporary housing.

According to their report, more than 3,000 people have been moved into housing through both operations since homelessness was declared a local emergency at the beginning of 2023.

Sheriff Luna said, “Criminalizing homelessness is not the answer” and insisted that the sheriff’s department is committed to a service-first approach. “We will not change our established custody standards because of what we’re hearing about today,” he said.

“We will do the right thing by getting homeless individuals the right services,” Luna told the board. “If there is criminal activity occurring, people will be arrested.”

Cheri Todoroff, the executive director of the county’s Homeless Initiative said the county has created thousands of interim housing beds. She also said they need cooperation from more cities and motel owners to establish more temporary housing.

“We need to have locations set up through motels at local jurisdictions,” Todoroff said. “We need cities to partner with us.”

She said the other challenge is moving formerly homeless people into permanent housing, and that it will require more master leases with apartment owners in the private rental market.

She added that creating interim housing is expensive. The interim housing program runs 24/7 and includes a substantial staffing cost which ranges between $50,000 and $60,000 per person.

The motion calls for a report back to the board in 120 days, with a strategy for addressing encampments in the county through measures that prioritize a humane approach, exclusion of jails as holding places for individuals experiencing homelessness, community outreach programs, and partnerships with local municipalities.

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