City Approves Ordinance to Ban Public Camping and Maintain Public Access

At the Tuesday, November 12, 2024 regular meeting of the Garden Grove City Council, the city council adopted an ordinance to ban camping in public places and interfering with public access. The ordinance takes effect on Thursday, December 12, 2024.

"Garden Grove is committed to providing a safe, attractive, and welcoming community for our residents, businesses, and visitors. While this ordinance provides a needed tool to address unauthorized camping, it's part of our broader, ongoing efforts to help those in need transition off the streets," said Garden Grove Mayor Steve Jones.

Ordinance No. 2958 adds Chapter 8.96 to Title 8 of the Garden Grove Municipal Code. The ordinance prohibits camping, sleeping, storing personal property on public places, or interfering with public access to public places. Public places include: street, alleyway, sidewalk, median, public restroom, building, or parking lot, bus bench or bus shelter, park, and storm drain.

Restricted areas also include private areas such as 20 feet of an entrance or exit to any establishment or building where the public is invited, 20 feet of an automatic teller machine, and 200 feet of a public or private school or day care center.

The Garden Grove Police Department's Special Resource Team, specifically dedicated to working with the homeless population, will outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness and educate them on the ordinance prior to the start of enforcement.

"The goal is not to criminalize homelessness, but rather encourage people to accept the resources the City offers," said Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra.

The ordinance is one of many steps the City is taking as part of its 2021 Comprehensive Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness. Garden Grove has implemented several key programs designed to provide immediate assistance and long-term solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness. These programs include: Be Well OC in Garden Grove mobile response team; Orange County's first street medicine program in partnership with CalOptima Health and Healthcare in Action; and the Central Cities Navigation Center, a referral-based facility offering transitional housing and services.

For the 2024 Point in Time Count, Garden Grove saw its largest decline of unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness. Garden Grove reduced the number of unsheltered individuals by 152 individuals, which is a 39% reduction from the last biennial count in 2022.

For more information about the City's homelessness initiatives or to learn more about available resources, visit www.ggcity.org/endhomelessness.

Visit www.agendasuite.org/iip/gardengrove/agendaitem/details/656 to read the full ordinance.