Overview

• The Supreme Court’s June 2024 Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling empowered California cities to arrest unhoused individuals for sleeping in public spaces.
• Los Angeles Police Department increased camping arrests by 68% in the second half of 2024 compared to the first half, according to CalMatters reporting.
• San Francisco saw a 500% rise in citations and arrests, while San Diego and Sacramento recorded two- and threefold increases following the ruling.
• Only 17% of people cited under Los Angeles’s anti-camping ordinance secured shelter in March 2025, despite 94% requesting it, per the Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency.
• Cities across California have split between harsher anti-camping sweeps and limited supportive services, but constrained shelter capacity and strict intake rules hamper both approaches.