Homeless Encampments (H 8000)

We supported legislation which would generally require 14 days advance notice before police could break up homeless encampments on public property. Our organization has continually heard from both unhoused individuals and advocacy groups working with the unhoused population about the harm caused by the police destruction of encampments, often with little or no advance notice. In addition to truly leaving them homeless, these raids on encampments have frequently resulted in the destruction of the little property they have -- including critical documents like ID cards, medications, and other vital personal belongings. We argued for amendments to address this issue as well as a requirement for police departments to adopt a formal policy government encampment removals.