South Bay City To Explore What Arresting The 'Chronically Homeless' Could Look Like: Report

TORRANCE, CA — Torrance officials are exploring making it illegal for a homeless person to refuse shelter, according to a report by the Daily Breeze.

City Councilmember Aurelio Mattuci is leading that charge, saying during a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 9, that his goal was not to criminalize homelessness, but to "ensure that these individuals are taken off our streets and put on the right path to either recover or placed in long-term facilities and in some cases, for the rest of their lives," according to the report.

City officials could also look into the possibility of building military-style camps where people could stay in tents, according to the report.

This proposal draws parallels to an initiative by the San Jose City Council known as the "Responsibility to Shelter Initiative." That initiative penalizes homeless people who refuse shelter three times within 18 months, and has drawn criticism from advocates who argue that it criminalizes the homeless.

Read more from the Daily Breeze.