Appeals from two local nonprofits failed to stop the Carlsbad City Council from giving its final approval Tuesday to a new ordinance that prohibits people from living in their vehicles on public property.
“We urge the city to amend this ordinance to include a safe parking alternative,” said Marian Vega Clancy, a Carlsbad resident and president of the League of Women Voters of North County. “The league believes that all levels of government have a role in meeting basic human needs … there is no need more basic for people than safe shelter.”
A ban on living in vehicles will drive those people into other nearby cities, such as Encinitas and Oceanside, that provide safe parking for the homeless, the speaker said.
Similar thoughts were expressed by Chris Durnan, a 37-year Carlsbad resident and coordinator of a program called Showers of Blessings that has provided hot showers and other services to the unsheltered for seven years in downtown Carlsbad.
“A portion of these people live in their cars,” Durnan said. “These are people who follow our rules, get a shower and some much-needed food and services … (and) they are being targeted to move out of the area.”
The “perfect location” for a safe parking lot would be the former Farmers Insurance building at the intersection of El Camino Real and Faraday Drive, Durnan said. The city purchased the property years ago as the possible location for a new civic center that is yet to be built.
“Consider this idea as an alternative to banning them from the safe places they have found,” she said.
In a response to their comments, Mayor Keith Blackburn asked Police Chief Christie Calderwood to explain the reasoning behind the ban, which the City Council initially approved March 4.
The new ordinance is another “tool” that officers can use to get people to accept the services they need, Calderwood said. Enforcement will begin with warnings and lead to citations for those who repeatedly refuse to accept help.
Councilmember Teresa Acosta said the council’s approval was the final step in a process that had been underway for some time, and that there was no chance for an amendment.
“That’s not really how it works,” Acosta said. “It might be something in the future that we would consider having a discussion … it’s not really on the table for tonight.”
After the unanimous vote Tuesday, the new ordinance takes effect in 30 days.
Carlsbad accepted a $3 million grant from the state’s Encampment Resolution Fund in February to help find shelter for homeless individuals and families living in their vehicles in the Village, Barrio and beach neighborhoods.
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