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Since 2024, the Constitution no longer stops a city from enforcing camping bans when shelter is unavailable.

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The practical limits now come from state funding rules, property and disability law, and how much shelter a city actually has.

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In City of Grants Pass versus Johnson, decided in June 2024 by a six to three vote, the United States Supreme Court held that enforcing general camping laws is not cruel and unusual punishment, even when no shelter is available.

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That overturned a Ninth Circuit rule that had shaped West Coast policy for five years.

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But limits remain.

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Homeless people's belongings are protected from unreasonable seizure.

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The Americans with Disabilities Act still applies;

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one city was allowed to clear an encampment but had to give disabled residents more time.

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And a California law that took effect in 2026 bars cities from penalizing anyone for giving homeless people food, water, blankets, or medical care.

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The money comes with conditions.

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The state's next round of homelessness grants requires a compliant housing element and encampment policies that follow state guidance, which makes housing element compliance a homelessness funding issue too.

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In Los Angeles County, Measure A, a half-cent sales tax approved in 2024, raises about a billion dollars a year.

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Torrance's share for 2026 and 2027 from its local solutions fund is about five hundred ninety-seven thousand dollars, and that money cannot pay for police or for prosecuting homeless people.

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Any enforcement ordinance needs a different source.

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In Torrance, the main shelter is a village of forty small cabins that opened in 2022, where the average stay is close to a year.

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In September 2025, the council directed staff to draft an ordinance allowing arrest after repeated refusals of shelter, paired with low-cost tent shelters.

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Whether it was adopted should be confirmed with the city clerk.

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The published counts of how many people are homeless in Torrance conflict, so check the county's own figures before citing one.

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The second half of this episode is about the people who don't come to hearings.

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About forty-five percent of Torrance households rent, and forty percent of residents speak a language other than English at home.

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Yet the people who testify are mostly older homeowners.

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Good engagement closes that gap before an item reaches the dais.

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Start by saying what level of engagement you are offering.

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Informing people is different from consulting them, and consulting is different from sharing the decision.

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Most hearings consult, which means the public is owed a summary afterward of what they said and what changed because of it.

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Then go where people already are: school pickup lines, apartment complexes, the transit center, cultural festivals.

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Partner with groups residents already trust, like congregations and schools.

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Offer childcare, food, interpretation, and sometimes a stipend.

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Use randomly selected panels or valid surveys to balance testimony.

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Petaluma did this in 2022, paying thirty-six randomly chosen residents to spend about ninety hours deciding the future of its fairgrounds.

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Vallejo let residents as young as sixteen vote on how to spend millions in capital funds.

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And Torrance Unified's phone policy survey drew more than four thousand responses, far more than any hearing ever will.

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For more, see the homelessness and engagement sections of the Local Official's Handbook.