Newport Beach officials are cracking down on homeless encampments following complaints from residents and local business owners.
Locals said homeless individuals are constantly seen gathering at popular tourist spots such as the Newport Beach Pier.
On Tuesday, city officials voted unanimously to bolster anti-camping laws including clamping down on anyone found sleeping in public areas and streets.
“We have a massive problem at the Newport Pier right now,” said Joe Stapleton, Newport Beach Mayor Pro Tem. “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.”
At the public city council meeting, residents chimed in with personal stories involving disruptive or even violent encounters with homeless residents.
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Homeless residents seen at the Newport Beach Pier area on August 29, 2024. (KTLA) -
Newport Beach Pier public plaza. (KTLA) -
Homeless residents seen at the Newport Beach Pier area on August 29, 2024. (KTLA) -
An aerial view of beachgoers enjoying a partially-sunny, warm day on the beach near the pier in Newport Beach, CA, on April 28, 2020. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
NEWPORT BEACH, CA – JULY 20: People walk, ride and skateboard on the sidewalk past businesses near the pier on a summer day Monday, July 20, 2020 in Newport Beach, CA. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“I caught a guy urinating on my neighbor’s property about a month ago,” said Mario Marovic, a Newport Beach resident and business owner. “A few hours after that, I saw him sitting on the bench in front of Malarky’s Irish Pub. I asked him to get off the bench. I asked him why he was urinating in public. He said, ‘Why not?’”
According to the latest Orange County homeless count, there are 71 homeless people living in Newport Beach
In 2023, city officials passed a law that prohibited a variety of activities related to homelessness including banning overnight camping on public property when shelter beds were available, sleeping in public bathrooms, sidewalks or public areas, using public water fountains or sinks to clean clothes or bathe and more.
In June, a Supreme Court ruling gave cities the power to enforce bans on homeless encampments. Governor Gavin Newsom placed pressure on California cities and counties to aggressively tackle homelessness by vowing to withhold money and resources from those who fail to cooperate.
“This is a step in the right direction,” Stapleton said. “We all have compassion for homeless people, but we are spending well over $4 million as a community here to help solve this problem. It’s not being solved.”
Newport Beach officials will continue outreach efforts aimed at helping homeless individuals move off the streets but with plans to continue increasing enforcement.
A second reading of the proposed amendments to the anti-camping laws is scheduled for the next city council meeting. If it passes then, all changes will go into effect 30 days afterward. The amendments would also increase the number of homeless liaison police officers from one to four.