Newport Beach Cracks Down On People Sleeping On Beaches, In Vehicles

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Newport Beach is taking a stronger stance on unhoused people sleeping in public with a new set of stricter measures, according to reports.

“We have a massive problem at the Newport Pier right now,” Mayor Pro Tem Joe Stapleton said last month, according to KTLA. “I promise you, if you go down there tonight, you will find 13 individuals sleeping there overnight. It’s been a problem for a long time and it’s getting worse and worse.”

Despite banning tents in city spaces last year, people still sleep on sidewalks and beaches, according to The Orange County Register, which reported that Newport Beach's expanded ordinance prohibits sleeping in such areas as well as vehicles, parks and streets.

The city council also added three police officers to the homeless liaison team, increasing it to four, with hopes for three more officers on the team next year, the Register reported, adding a new position in the city attorney’s office will oversee the prosecution of violators.

The moves come after the U.S. Supreme Court decided in June to allow cities to enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outdoors. The 6-3 decision reversed a ruling by a San Francisco-based appeals court that found outdoor sleeping bans amount to cruel and unusual punishment.

The most recent count saw 71 people experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach, according to LAist, down from 96 in 2022.

The city also opted not to extend its contract for a mobile mental health team with Be Well, which received $1.2 million in 2021, The Daily Pilot reported, adding Newport Beach has an agreement for 25 beds at the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter and they are typically at or near capacity.

City News Service contributed to this story.