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1st-of-its kind court order halts sweep of California homeless camp
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1st-of-its kind court order halts sweep of California homeless camp

  • By MARISA KENDALL CalMatters

The Bay Area city of Vallejo is putting California cities' newfound power to clear homeless encampments to the test. A federal judge last month stopped the city from dismantling the makeshift shelter of 64-year-old Evelyn Alfred. Legal experts told CalMatters that the recent order appears to be the first such federal injunction since the U.S. Supreme Court found that cities can ban people from setting up homeless encampments even if there are no shelter beds available. The ruling shows that as more cities in California crack down on encampments with sweeps and criminal charges, there are pathways open for unhoused people to fight back.