Free Republic

Mayor London Breed said a “very aggressive” sweep of San Francisco homeless encampments will start in August, after a recent Supreme Court ruling cleared the path for widespread enforcement. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that enforcing rules against homeless people for sleeping outside doesn’t violate the Eighth Amendment’s “cruel and unusual punishment” clause. On Thursday, Breed celebrated the ruling and said the city plans to change its protocols and may begin issuing criminal penalties against homeless people. “Thank goodness for the change in the Supreme Court decision,” Breed said at an election debate hosted by a local firefighter’s union....

The city of Denver has seen more than 40,000 illegal aliens arrive within the city limits in the last few months, as the city's resources have been stretched to the breaking point. The illegals are grateful, for sure. Well, some of them are grateful. A group of illegals staying in an encampment under a railroad bridge made a list of 13 demands they sent to the mayor. If the mayor doesn't play ball, the illegals are threatening to stay outside. Given that summer will be here in a few weeks, it's not much of a threat. But these illegals have...

Amid the unrest over actions in the Gaza War, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Sunday that the commonwealth will permit “peaceful” protests, but will not tolerate intimidation and encampments on college campuses. Since Saturday, protestors have been arrested at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg and in Blacksburg at Virginia Tech. During CNN’s “State of the Union” television show on Sunday, Youngkin said that the First Amendment encompasses freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration. Still, he added it does not allow for intimidating Jewish students, preventing them from attending class and using annihilation speech to express deeply antisemitic views....

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing criticism from Hollywood residents as homeless encampments are returning despite her efforts to move people from the streets into hotels and motels. Under her predecessor, Eric Garcetti, and under California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), the focus of homeless policy in the state has been to use government money to pay for hotel or motel rooms for homeless people, offering them alternative accommodation. But that approach does not address the root causes of the problem: mental illness; drug abuse; permissive law enforcement; and the high cost of living in the state, especially when it...

Beverly Hills is known for being a stomping ground of the Hollywood elite, but as homelessness in Los Angeles has grown, so too have its encampments. The median house price in Beverly Hills is around $3.5million, yet those luxury houses are now juxtaposed against a clusters of tents, prominent along residential streets, highways and parks. Photos taken on Tuesday reveal tarpaulins, shopping carts, mattresses and loose bedding next to busy junctions and on the sidewalks of the wealthy suburb. The scenes were captured along San Vicente Blvd, near the upscale Beverly Center shopping mall where celebrities including Victoria Beckham, Paris...

California cities have battled a homeless crisis for years, while still throwing billions of dollars at the spiraling tragedy to help those who are in dire need of housing. But one city has defied the odds, reporting the lowest homeless population in the state. Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey (R) said there are no vagrants in his city at all, and he joined “Fox & Friends First” to describe how he has reinforced a no-encampment policy while still upholding the rule of law. […] Coronado funds “reasonable” services to help those struggling get “back on their feet,” but noted the city...

Assemblyman Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, has introduced legislation that would prohibit homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools, daycare centers, parks, and libraries. Assembly Bill 257 is one of the first measures proposed by Hoover, who was elected last November in a tight race with then-incumbent Assemblyman Ken Cooley. “This bill is all about keeping our public spaces safe for the most vulnerable people in our community, which is our kids,” said Hoover on Tuesday. “It’s critical that we make sure all our kids feel safe walking to school.” Hoover said that near his home in Folsom, he’s found needles and...

Tent City A homeless tent city is seeing an increase in population as the economy worsens ...