Title: Guide to Homelessness and the Law in Los Angeles | Law Soup LA
Headings: Guide to Laws Related to Homelessness in Los Angeles
Homelessness
Guide to Laws Related to Homelessness in Los Angeles
1. Get Help
How can a homeless person get help and resources?
2. Shelter
Do people have a legal right to shelter?
Are homeless people required to go into shelters?
3. Private Property
Are homeless people allowed on private property?
4. Sleeping & Living in your car
Is it illegal to sleep or live in your car in Los Angeles?
What is defined as living in a vehicle?
What is the penalty for living in a vehicle?
Are homeless people allowed to park their RVs on the street?
5. Being on the sidewalk or street
Is it illegal to block the sidewalk?
Is it illegal to sit, sleep, or “camp” on the sidewalk?
Is it illegal to sit or stand in other public places?
What is loitering and is it illegal?
6. Tents and other stuff on the street
Is it legal to store things on the street?
Are tents on the street illegal?
Are structures on the street illegal?
What are the police allowed to do with the belongings of homeless people?
7. Donating food
Is it illegal to donate food to a non-profit (or could I be sued for it)?
8. Soliciting or begging
Is it illegal to ask or beg for money?
9. “Dumping” a homeless person
Is it illegal for a hospital to drop a homeless person on the street or at a shelter, or a different hospital?
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Content: Get Help
How can a homeless person get help and resources? The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) website has a list of resources, including shelter, mental health services, and much more. You can also call them at 800 548 6047, or simply dial 211 and follow the prompts. 2. Shelter
Do people have a legal right to shelter? In California there is no legal right to shelter, which means the government is not required to provide a place to sleep for every individual who needs one. However, if the government does NOT provide enough shelters, it may NOT prevent people from sleeping on the streets at night. 2
Martin v Boise (2018) – 9th Circuit
Some lawmakers are looking to create a right to shelter, as New York has. California lawmakers are also considering going even further with potentially a requirement for homeless people to accept the shelter. Are homeless people required to go into shelters?