(a) Homeless encampments such as tents and other habitable structures persist and have become a major problem on County property. Such encampments are unsafe and unhealthy for the people living in them, and they make our public spaces and the adjoining neighborhoods intimidating, less safe, and less healthy for families, residents, and visitors to County facilities. The County already prohibits camping on public and private property in the unincorporated areas of the County without permission, and the unregulated placement of tents and other habitable structures on County properties—including parking lots, areas of ingress and egress, patios, and similar spaces—is not a traditional or customary use of these important public spaces.
(b) The County of Yolo is a compassionate county and must do everything reasonably possible to transition people experiencing homelessness to stable and successful permanent housing by providing services and low-barrier-to-entry shelters. But maintaining accessible and safe access to County facilities for everyone is an important public safety objective. Tents and other habitable structures erected for temporary shelter often exhibit the following public safety hazards, all of which present public health risks and can become vectors for disease, illness, and rodents:
(1) solid waste from discarded food and other garbage, which can be an attractant to vermin and create conditions for vermin infestation;
(2) the presence of syringes;
(3) untreated human waste, which can lead to the transmission of diseases;
(4) food storage is not sanitary;
(5) no potable running water for personal hygiene, such as hand washing, the lack of which is a primary way communicable disease is spread.
(c) In addition to the foregoing concerns, tents and other habitable, temporary shelters provide a shield for criminal activity and expose members of the public and law enforcement to increased risk of assault and other threats to personal safety. This risk extends not only to members of the public seeking to access County facilities for lawful purposes, but also to nearby residents, business owners, and pedestrians. (Ord. 1514, eff. December 5, 2019)