Encinitas looks to expand homelessness regulations
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Downtown Encinitas. Photo: Dünzl\ullstein bild via Getty Images
Encinitas is looking to tighten restrictions on camping and sleeping in vehicles in response to its growing homelessness problem.
Why it matters: City leaders are ramping up enforcement efforts as the affluent beach town is experiencing a level of visible homelessness it hasn't seen before, Voice of San Diego reports.
Driving the news: The Encinitas City Council on Wednesday night approved two items brought by new council member Jim O'Hara aimed at bolstering policing efforts.
- One removes the phrase "at night" from the city's existing ban on illegal camping on private property, expanding enforcement to any time of day.
- The second lengthens the timeframe for the city's ban on sleeping in vehicles to 8pm-6am.
- The council tabled a third proposal, which would have extended the hours for the ban on RV parking overnight on city streets.
Yes, but: The revised ordinances still need to get further council approval, and will go into effect 30 days later, City Manager Jennifer Campbell said at the meeting.
The big picture: Unsheltered homelessness in Encinitas and across North County has spiked in recent years, but dropped significantly in 2025, according to Point in Time Count numbers.
- Cities have invested in new homeless shelters and adopted or expanded public camping bans to try to curb the issue after last year's Supreme Court ruling gave them more power to do so.
What we're watching: As Encinitas city leaders focus on enforcement, the Community Resource Center that provides social services to the homeless population plans to expand its downtown campus, despite public pushback from some local residents.
What's next: The city council is set to consider another item next week that would prohibit using vehicles as living quarters on public streets or public property from 8pm-8am.