National City Takes Up Encampment Ban Proposal Again

Officials in National City this week introduced legislation to outlaw camping on public property, near schools and along waterways and train tracks.

The proposed ban is an about-face for the city, which previously pursued an outreach-oriented approach to homelessness that sought to avoid arrests or forcing people to move.

If adopted after a final city council vote in two weeks, the ban would add National City to a growing list of San Diego County cities that have outlawed public camping. San Diego, Escondido and Vista all ban encampments. Officials in Carlsbad and Chula Vista are still figuring it out.

Background: Just five months ago, National City decided not to ban camping, and instead, the City Council directed staff to enforce laws already on the books that prohibit camping in public spaces.

Officials said they wanted to try a less punitive, voluntary approach. Over the past decade, the city spent more than $4 million on outreach workers, case management, housing vouchers and other efforts to build rapport with homeless people and help them transition off the streets.

During that time, the number of homeless people in the city continued to grow, rising from 125 to 174 in just the past four years, according to a city report accompanying the proposed ban. Of 177 homeless people engaged by outreach workers, just 35 were moved into housing, according to the report.

Officials also pointed to a rising array of homelessness-related costs. Since 2021, police and firefighters have responded to more than 5,000 calls involving homeless residents, including robberies, vandalism and fires in a motel and under a freeway.

So far this fiscal year, the city estimates it has spent $400,000 clearing roughly 60 tons of encampment-related debris from parks, drainage channels and other public areas.

Officials say they envision pairing the proposed encampment ban with a renewed grant-funded effort to expand detox facilities, substance abuse treatment options and interim and permanent housing facilities.

Why it matters. Previously, National City’s outreach-focused approach was cited as a model by advocates for the homeless, who praised the city for bucking the encampment ban trend. If the city changes course and outlaws public camping, the move could signal gathering momentum for other county encampment bans.

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