Refusing shelter will soon be illegal for those living in encampments in unincorporated areas of San Mateo County.
Under a new controversial local law passed this week by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, homeless people who decline two offers of shelter beds, and have been issued two written warnings by law enforcement, will face misdemeanor charges.
The law is set to take effect in 30 days.
The ordinance, introduced by Supervisors Warren Slocum and David Pine, was approved unanimously on the first reading last week. During the final vote this week, however, there was dissent.
District 2 Supervisor Noelia Corzo voted no on the ordinance, citing concerns that charging unhoused people with a misdemeanor would make getting housing or employment more difficult.
“All efforts will be made to ensure that that negative impact doesn’t realize,” Corzo said. “But I just want to elevate this. I may bring something to county staff outside of this ordinance to address this.”
In last week’s board meeting, several residents and advocates spoke out against the ordinance, citing concerns that criminalizing homelessness would have a detrimental – and possibly traumatic – effect on these individuals.
According to the ordinance, those charged with a misdemeanor would be entitled to “participate in appropriate diversion programs” offered by San Mateo County.
This would allow them to enroll in treatment programs with “the goal being to route individuals to shelter and not to jail.”
Only about 100 of the county’s 1,800 homeless residents – or a little over 5% — live in unincorporated areas of San Mateo County.
Slocum said in a previous statement that he hopes this measure will be a model for other cities within the county.
