Redwood City imposes stricter penalties for homeless camps

The move comes as several other Bay Area jurisdictions start adopting stricter approaches to homelessness, particularly those who are resistant to treatment or shelter. The state has also pushed for jurisdictions to crack down, especially after last year’s Grant’s Pass v. Johnson U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overruled previous limits on anti-camping ordinances.

In June, Millbrae passed perhaps the strictest anti-camping ordinance in the county — which does not require the offer of housing prior to citation — and San Jose recently supported a policy that could subject individuals to a misdemeanor for refusing housing more than three times over an 18-month period. Fremont’s ordinance passed at the end of last year does not mandate prior noticing and also comes with a possible misdemeanor, jail time and up to $1,000 in fines.

During the Redwood City Council meeting July 21, many public commenters voiced concern for the ordinance, citing its “criminalization” of homelessness.

Councilmember Chris Sturkin said he was concerned that the approach doesn’t change the fact that nearly 40% of individuals going to the shelter system end up back on the street because they don’t have adequate support systems in place.

“This isn’t going to solve homelessness,” Sturkin said. “My concern is that we’re setting ourselves up for failure, and we’re overpromising and will underdeliver.”

As of June 2025, there are 141 unsheltered individuals living in Redwood City, with the majority of unsheltered individuals being Hispanic males between the ages 35 and 64, according to a staff report. There are approximately 29 homeless encampments in Redwood City — 12 on city property, 14 on Caltrans property and three on private property — with an average of three individuals living in a single encampment, as of June 2025.

Other residents, including in the Bair Island neighborhood, say the lack of enforcement of encampments creates serious public safety risks and has been the cause of multiple fires, including one in early June and another across Redwood Creek a few weeks later.

Several councilmembers, including Councilmember Jeff Gee, said the city has provided many services and shelter beds, or “carrots,” for unhoused individuals, but it needs a stricter approach for those who refuse to use them.

“The success is getting folks inside with wraparound services and having them available to those services,” Gee said. “We want to be compassionate and help those individuals and identify those that have needs, but at the same time they can’t keep saying no.”

The final vote was 6-1, with Sturken opposed.

In other business, the City Council also voted to write a letter to SamTrans encouraging the board to opt in to Senate Bill 63, which authorizes a regional transit measure on the 2026 ballot. If San Mateo County opts in, it would impose a sales tax meant to address major transit agencies’ fiscal deficits, including Caltrain and BART.