Perspective: Criminalizing Homelessness As a Remedy Is Ineffective...
Cracking Down on the Homeless in Fremont
The unaffordable housing crisis in California is driving thousands of families away, leaving local businesses grappling to find employees. The most obvious impact of this decades-long housing shortage is visible on the streets, where the homeless live in tents, RVs, and sleeping bags. These are our neighbors, and they urgently need homes.
However, Fremont's solution to the housing crisis is far from what is needed. In March, Fremont joined many California cities by banning tents, RVs, and even sleeping bags in public. This move criminalizes people with nowhere else to go, sending a clear message that homelessness isn't Fremont's problem. With only 100 shelter beds for over 800 homeless residents, the city chooses punishment over compassion.
Fremont's 2024 Homelessness Response Plan supposedly focuses on prevention, housing, and outreach. But the city's harsh enforcement measures have forced providers like Abode Services to halt aid due to legal risks. A lawsuit from homeless residents, supported by the California Homeless Union and local faith leaders, now challenges the ordinance.
Cities across the Bay Area are grappling with rising homelessness rooted in long-term housing shortages. Throughout the 2010s, California's cities saw the lowest decade of homebuilding since the 1960s, even as the economy boomed. The Bay Area added only one new home for every six new jobs.
The predictable result: Alameda County rents jumped 26% from 2010 to 2021. Landlords are the primary beneficiaries, profiting from scarcity to raise rents. Rising rents are a primary cause of homelessness, a problem that isn't being addressed until we fix the housing shortage.
Progress requires clearing roadblocks. A proposed bill, SB 79, would require cities to allow more homes near major transit stops, addressing rising transportation costs and pollution from long car commutes. Another bill, SB 677, targets exclusionary barriers in existing neighborhoods by preventing homeowners associations from blocking new homes in communities that already have schools, parks, and transit nearby.
These bills support progressive legislators' priorities: increasing access, reducing exclusion, and rebalancing power away from those profiting from scarcity. They complement tenant protections and social housing by addressing the core problem - chronic underbuilding.
Fremont should expand its 45-bed Navigation Center and establish a dedicated city-owned lot for people living in vehicles excluded from the current Safe Parking program. Most importantly, Fremont must completely repeal its camping ban. The solution lies in addressing Fremont's housing shortage, not punishment.
To make progress, the state must do more to encourage homebuilding. Homelessness results from our housing shortage and policies that ignore solutions. If we want stable communities where people of all incomes can live and work, we must end knee-jerk reactions to visible homelessness and start building the homes and services that will actually resolve the crisis.
David Bonaccorsi is a former Fremont councilmember and part of the Fremont For Everyone leadership team.
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Why Fremont's Camping Ban Is Cruel and Ineffective
The city of Fremont has garnered criticism for its harsh approach to addressing homelessness. Its camping ban, which prohibits tents, RVs, and sleeping bags in public, criminalizes people living on the streets. This move not only ignores the root cause of homelessness but also risks worsening displacement without providing housing alternatives. Instead, policymakers should focus on expanding housing and outreach programs to truly make a difference in addressing homelessness.
The Unintended Consequences of Fremont's Camping Ban
Fremont's camping ban is part of a larger trend toward punitive measures aimed at managing homeless encampments. Rapid cleanups with property destruction and arrests have been criticized for causing harm and worsening displacement without offering housing alternatives. By criminalizing poverty and homelessness, city authorities risk exacerbating the crisis rather than alleviating it.
The Need for a Housing-First Approach
Experts argue that permanent housing should be a prerequisite for addressing the underlying issues that lead to homelessness. While Fremont continues to grapple with insufficient funding and resources for housing programs, there is a growing consensus that a Housing-First approach is more effective in creating sustainable solutions for homelessness. By prioritizing housing, homeless individuals are more likely to stabilize their lives and access necessary services.
Alternatives to the Camping Ban
Rather than relying on punitive measures, Fremont should explore alternatives that prioritize outreach and support. Solutions such as expanding the city's Navigation Center, establishing safe parking programs, and decriminalizing camping could provide temporary housing solutions while addressing the root causes of homelessness. By implementing a more holistic and compassionate approach, Fremont may find long-term solutions to its homelessness crisis.
The Importance of Regional Coordination
The challenges of homelessness and affordable housing are systemic, affecting not just Fremont but the entire Bay Area. Regional coordination on affordable housing and renter protections is crucial for addressing the root causes of the crisis. By working together, cities can begin to dismantle the "terrible trio" of housing shortages, high costs, and homelessness.
Ultimately, the issue of homelessness requires more than temporary fixes and punitive measures. It demands a comprehensive, humane, and long-term approach that prioritizes affordable housing, outreach, and support. Only by addressing the underlying causes of homelessness can we build a more equitable and inclusive community for all.
- The cruel and ineffective camping ban in Fremont, which criminalizes homeless individuals, risks worsening displacement without providing housing alternatives.
- Instead of relying on punitive measures like the camping ban, Fremont should explore alternatives that prioritize outreach and support, such as expanding the city's Navigation Center and decriminalizing camping.
- To address the root causes of homelessness, policymakers should focus on expanding housing and outreach programs, like the Housing-First approach that prioritizes permanent housing.
- Regional coordination among Bay Area cities is essential to address the systemic challenges of homelessness and affordable housing, dismantling the "terrible trio" of housing shortages, high costs, and homelessness.
