California homeless camp crackdown not spreading to Las Vegas Valley

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday issued an executive order that provides local governments the authority and guidance to clear out camps occupied by homeless Californians, adding that state’s efforts to tackle the issue had been partially stymied by legal challenges.

“We have now no excuse with the Supreme Court decision,” Newsom said, whose order suggests that compliance by local governments could be tied to state funding earmarked to combat homelessness.

Nevada isn’t likely to face a similar order, however.

The state hasn’t seen encampments on state public lands similar to California’s encampments, and the issue isn’t expected to rise to the level of executive action, according to Elizabeth Ray, a spokesperson for Gov. Joe Lombardo.

She said Lombardo has “worked diligently” to address homelessness and said he would take “appropriate action” if encampments on state land cropped up.

“Nevada has managed state land judiciously, but if encampments ever surfaced on state land, Governor Lombardo would quickly take appropriate action and evaluate next policy steps,” Ray said in a statement.

No change yet to local policies

A month removed from the 6-3 ruling in the high court, the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson haven’t taken action to strengthen their existing camping ordinances, which allow for the arrest of people who refuse to move from a public space, as long as there are shelter beds available.

Washoe County, Sparks and Reno also have implemented camping ordinances; Clark County hasn’t.

County commissioners have asked their attorneys to look into options available to the county related to a no camping ordinance, Manager Kevin Schiller said in a statement.

The county is the regional provider for services, and the county has done “significant work” to provide homeless people with wraparound services, he said.

Las Vegas and Henderson said Thursday that the cities hadn’t changed their stances. North Las Vegas said it was reviewing the Supreme Court ruling.

“The city’s ordinance includes a provision allowing enforcement so long as shelter space is available in the city,” wrote Las Vegas spokesman Jace Radke. “If shelter space were not available, the ordinance was not enforced. This is still the case today.”

Local camping bans

The local cities’ laws complied with a lower court decision that was successfully challenged by Grants Pass, Oregon, in the Supreme Court.

Justices ruled in late June that citing people found sleeping outdoors didn’t amount to cruel and unusual punishment, even when shelter space was lacking.

Las Vegas and Henderson signed onto a “friend of the court” brief in that case seeking clarity from the Supreme Court. The cities have argued that their ordinances are paired with social services for the afflicted populations.

Critics have maintained that the bans criminalize homelessness.

After the Supreme Court ruling, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada said that the majority opinion was limited in scope and only addressed the question about civil penalties and not criminal offenses.

“These punitive laws, that were reaffirmed by the Supreme Court last month, do nothing to address the on-going housing crisis, said Ben Iness with the Nevada Housing Justice Alliance, adding that the policy disproportionately affect people of color. “Instead of looking for legitimate solutions that keep families housed, politicians too often look for the quick solution that will fill their donors’ pockets, like urban sprawl or criminalization.”

‘Political swing of reaction’

Deacon Tom Roberts, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, said Thursday that California has thrown billions of dollars toward homelessness without a defined plan. Without adequate housing and directing aid toward the people’s specific circumstances, including the need for wrap-around services for some, the issue will persist, Roberts said.

“There tends to be this sort of swing — this political swing of reaction,” he said.

Roberts noted that some advocate for full sweeps of encampments, while others call for the population to be left alone.

“Both scenarios are flawed,” Roberts said.

Dave Marlon, a clinician and CEO at Vegas Stronger, said he believes a similar order in Nevada would present “short term challenges,” but would improve the lives of those experiencing homelessness.

“There were about 7,500 unhoused in the last count. And although that sounds like a lot of people, that’s a manageable number for the social services system in Las Vegas to get connected to help,” Marlon said.

Marlon also said he feared that homeless people in Los Angeles may try to find a way to Las Vegas because of the executive order, which could increase homelessness in Southern Nevada.

‘Catch-22’

As punishing heat hovered above 110 degrees Thursday afternoon, a group of people dotted an underpass near downtown Las Vegas.

“This is where we’re stuck,” said James Gale, 54. “We sit here because we get breeze; there’s shade, and we just deal with the cops when they come.”

Gale said crews come around to clear out encampments regularly.

“We’re not allowed to camp, we can’t place tents anywhere,” James Gale said. “If we do, we get in trouble.”

Gale, a Teamsters union member who has been homeless for about nine months, said he’s been cited multiple times.

Curtis Bell said those fines add up.

“It’s like a catch-22,” he said about not being able to get ahead.

Both men said the shelters are full and that they would be able to get off the streets with the help of social services.

Bell, 58, understands the need for enforcement, but said the process is troubling.

They come and snatch everything right in front of your eyes,” said Bell, noting that he’s been homeless for half a year. “They don’t care, if you try retrieving stuff, they’re going to arrest you.”

He added: “To them, it might be junk, but to a lot of people, it’s priceless.”

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Contact Taylor R. Avery at TAvery@reviewjournal.com. Follow @travery98 on X.