BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging local governments to take stronger action against homeless encampments by adopting a model ordinance that effectively bans long-term camping on public property, including makeshift structures and street-blocking encampments.
- The new model ordinance, released earlier this year, lays out key restrictions: banning camping in the same spot for more than three consecutive nights, prohibiting semi-permanent structures, and requiring clear pedestrian access on sidewalks and streets. It also mandates outreach and at least 48 hours’ notice before a site can be cleared—except in emergencies.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging local governments to take stronger action against homeless encampments by adopting a model ordinance that effectively bans long-term camping on public property, including makeshift structures and street-blocking encampments.
The call comes as cities like Bakersfield ramp up enforcement. In February and April, the Bakersfield Police Department participated in several joint-operations, one of which removed 31 encampments from riverbeds and downtown areas.
“We always go in with the intention to help,” said Sgt. Alex Paiz with BPD's Impact Unit. “But often, people refuse services.”
The new model ordinance, released earlier this year, lays out key restrictions: banning camping in the same spot for more than three consecutive nights, prohibiting semi-permanent structures, and requiring clear pedestrian access on sidewalks and streets. It also mandates outreach and at least 48 hours’ notice before a site can be cleared—except in emergencies.
“They understand the rules,” Paiz said of individuals living in encampments. “If they refuse and remain in violation of laws or ordinances, it can escalate to a citation or even arrest.”
Paiz said officers often encounter the same individuals repeatedly, and large-scale encampment removals require extensive coordination with mental health agencies, code enforcement, and local outreach groups.
“A statewide ban would help by giving us more legal authority,” he said, “but the groundwork would still be the same.”
Carlos Baldovinos, chairman of the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative and CEO of the Mission at Kern County, said the challenge isn’t lack of effort, but the overwhelming scale of the crisis.
“There’s been an effort to get affordable housing units up,” Baldovinos said. “It’s just the problem has gotten to a crisis level.”
When Newsom first announced his directive last August, Baldovinos said the pace of rising homelessness continued to outstrip resources. He added that despite the governor’s renewed push, “little has changed.”
Jim Wheeler, executive director of Flood Ministries, agreed, saying Bakersfield’s current strategy already aligns with the governor’s recommendations.
“The governor’s release does not impact what we’re already doing in Bakersfield or Kern County,” Wheeler said.
Law enforcement officials also credit Proposition 36—state legislation designed to increase treatment for nonviolent drug offenders—with giving officers more tools to address addiction and mental health issues. But Paiz said it hasn’t always translated into long-term change.
“What would assist us is when we do book them, they stay there more than a night,” he said. “To deter them, maybe get them clean—not just the open door in and out. That’s an endless problem.”
As part of the ordinance rollout, Newsom announced $3.3 billion in funding for residential treatment beds across California, including three new projects in Kern County.
The model ordinance does not ban homelessness outright, but it does give cities broader authority to manage public spaces—while still requiring outreach, shelter options, and humane treatment of those affected.
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