ENCINITAS, Calif. (KGTV) — The Encinitas City Council is coming back from its month-long summer recess and tackling three big proposals related to homelessness on Wednesday.
All three of them would strengthen the city’s ban on camping outdoors or sleeping in your car overnight.
Councilmember Jim O’Hara put all three proposals on the agenda, arguing cthat urrent laws are too hard to enforce.
The first item calls for the city to tighten its rules on illegal camping on private property.
It would crack down on illegal camping during the day, not just at night.
The second proposal would expand the city’s ban on parking RVs overnight on city streets.
Right now, you’re not allowed to park an RV on the street from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., But O’Hara wants to restrict RV parking from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The last item would add new rules around sleeping in your car.
That’s also restricted from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. right now, but this proposal would ban sleeping in your car from dawn until dusk.
In public comments to the city council, some Encinitas residents expressed concerns about the current ordinances on homelessness and camping.
Those residents say the current rules put the responsibility on them to call the police and file complaints early in the morning or late at night.
The most recent PIT count shows homelessness in Encinitas is down 12% from last year.
But at least three Encinitas city councilmembers, including O’Hara, have gone on record expressing support for more enforcement around homelessness.
All of this comes after other cities like San Diego and Chula Vista have also added new restrictions around encampments and sleeping outside.
The Encinitas City Council meets Wednesday night at 6.
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