San Diego City Wire

The Senate Public Safety Committee rejected Senate Bill 1011, a bipartisan measure aimed at compassionately clearing homeless encampments, despite strong support from a variety of stakeholders, including Dr. Drew Pinsky, local government officials, and formerly homeless individuals.

Leader Jones expressed disappointment at the Committee's decision, stating, “California’s homelessness crisis is dangerous, inhumane, and unacceptable.” He criticized the majority party members for their opposition to new approaches and emphasized the importance of finding real solutions to the ongoing crisis.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, an internist and addictionologist, voiced support for SB 1011, highlighting the urgency of addressing the homelessness crisis in California. He stated, “The state is allowing people to die on the streets on a daily basis. The situation is not sustainable and Senator Jones’s bipartisan bill, Senate Bill 1011 will help.”

Senator Catherine Blakespear also expressed disappointment at the bill's rejection, emphasizing the need to do better on homelessness. She stated, “We need to do better on homelessness, and the current state of affairs – the lack of housing, the homelessness encampments in public spaces in our cities – is not acceptable.”

Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil echoed the sentiment of shared responsibility in addressing homelessness, stating, “Addressing the widespread issue of homelessness is a shared responsibility to ensure our most vulnerable populations receive the proper care, resources, and shelter to begin rebuilding their lives.”

Senator Bill Dodd highlighted the non-partisan nature of solving the homelessness crisis, stating, “Solving the homelessness crisis is not a partisan issue and I’m happy to join with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to connect homeless people with services and get them shelter.”

Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh emphasized the importance of compassionately clearing encampments to ensure community safety, stating, “Our goal is to strike a balance between accountability and compassion. We want to ensure everyone’s needs are met and everyone feels safe in their community.”

Formerly homeless individual Brett Boman shared his personal experience, urging California legislators to support efforts to address the homelessness crisis. He stated, “I am standing with Senator Jones again this year as we address this issue with an improved bill. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue, but a California issue.”

The rejection of SB 1011 by the Senate Public Safety Committee signifies a setback in addressing the homelessness crisis in California. Despite the bipartisan support and advocacy from various stakeholders, the bill was not advanced.