As homelessness rises across the Inland Empire, cities like San Bernardino are turning to encampment sweeps as a solution. With the highest homeless population in the county last year, the city is now grappling with how to clean up its streets while providing essential care for its unhoused residents.
Last month, workers were seen clearing out tents, bikes and scrap metal at Wildwood Park. Nearby, 47-year-old Robin Pride Williams, who has lived at the park on and off for the past decade, signed a consent form allowing the city to dispose of the rest of her items.
“They have to do what they’ve got to do,” Williams said, sounding defeated. “I understand it’s for the kids, for the community. It’s not for you to live in.”
Since reaching a settlement with the ACLU of Southern California last fall San Bernardino has conducted five sweeps. Under the settlement, the city must give 24 hours' notice before sweeps and is prohibited from destroying essential items such as medical supplies, food or personal documents belonging to unhoused individuals.
City spokesperson Jeff Kraus said the city's approach to encampment sweeps addresses both safety and health concerns.
"Camping in a park is neither safe nor healthy for the individuals here," he said. "We want to connect them with services, programs or opportunities for permanent housing."
Kraus added that the city closes parks to the public for several days after sweeps to repair infrastructure, such as damaged bathrooms and playground equipment.
The ACLU has been monitoring these sweeps to ensure the rights of unhoused individuals are upheld. Kath Rogers, an attorney with the ACLU, expressed concerns at the Wildwood Park sweep about the city's reliance on temporary solutions like hotel vouchers.
Rogers called for case management for those using hotel vouchers and emphasized the importance of a clear path to permanent housing. She argues that homelessness is driven by the state’s high cost of housing and encourages the city to provide comprehensive support to help people transition into stable housing.
“We want to make sure that when they're displaced today, not only are their rights protected,” Rogers said, “but ideally, the city is providing actual services so that people can go someplace safe.”
Cassandra Searcy, who is deputy director of San Bernardino’s housing and homelessness department, says the city’s working to expand transitional and permanent housing for people on the streets.
Searcy admits there isn’t a quick fix and says “bureaucratic red tape” makes solutions like affordable housing very difficult.
“It takes years to get these projects moving forward, and unfortunately the community doesn't understand that,” she said. “I just want the community to be aware that this is a multifaceted, complex problem.”
Despite challenges, the city received $35 million in state funds last year to build temporary housing units in partnership with Lutheran Social Services of Southern California and Dignity Health. The city hopes to add an additional 200 beds through another private partnership, Searcy says.
Searcy agrees with Rogers that long term housing is the preference and that a humane approach to addressing homelessness is needed. But she says it often takes up to 17 visits for an unhoused person to be open to receiving support for issues like drug addiction or mental health.
“Once a person has become chronically homeless and they've been on the streets a year or longer, it's more difficult to get them back into the mainstream,” said Searcy. “And that's just the reality.”
