City To Consider Homeless Policies In Newport Beach Tuesday

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Newport Beach City Council members will consider adopting a new city ordinance and policy direction to help address homelessness on Tuesday.

According to city staff, the council will consider an ordinance that will prohibit anyone from blocking access to facilities such as schools, businesses, private property and public restrooms through sitting, lying, sleeping or storing of personal property.

If adopted, the ordinance would also prohibit "unpermitted physical structures" set up as living shelters and camping on public property when shelter bed space is available.

The city will also consider prohibiting unpermitted fires, sleeping in restrooms, leaving personal items unattended on public property, and the use of public fountains, drinking faucets, restrooms sinks and sprinklers for personal hygiene or to wash dishes or clothes.

According to city staff, the proposed Council policy includes the following:

• Continuing to prioritize the acquisition of, or access to, shelter beds.
• Ensuring that the first step in interacting with a person experiencing homelessness is to offer services directed at moving the person toward exiting the street.
• Focusing limited funding on City-directed initiatives toward getting the unhoused off the streets.
• Establishing a baseline count of people experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach in 2023 and conducting a new count annually.
• Ensuring that data is collected so that the effectiveness of the City’s homeless outreach program can be quantified.
• Ensuring all contracts with vendors providing homeless-related services are consistent with the direction provided in this resolution.
• Enforcing all laws in fair and equitable manner.

A related item, to expand the number of shelter beds available to Newport Beach in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter from 20 to 25, is also on Tuesday's agenda.

Residents were encouraged to take part in the meeting, which takes place at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27 in the City Council Chambers, 100 Civic Center Drive.