The Stockton City Council is holding a special meeting Tuesday morning to discuss the city’s response to the Grants Pass Supreme Court Decision.
The session is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium and is open to the public.
In June, the Supreme Court ruled in The City of Grants Pass v. Johnson that cities can enforce laws banning homeless encampments and punitive measures such as fines.
The council will discuss the Supreme Court ruling and the July 25 State order regarding removing homeless encampments after an informational presentation by city staff.
Following the State Order, Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln, in a press release, announced the beginning of the removal of homeless encampments in the city’s public spaces, noting the danger they posed to residents.
“The City of Stockton has begun taking action and will continue our difficult but important work of clearing unsafe encampments from our streets,” Lincoln said.
Homelessness in San Joaquin County continues to climb, with the homeless population nearly doubling to just over 4,700 individuals in the past two years, according to data from the San Joaquin Continuum of Care. In 2022 the homeless population in the county numbered 2,319 individuals.
This is not the first time the city council has addressed the matter. On July 9th, the Ad Hoc Homelessness Committee met to discuss the Supreme Court decision and the local resources available to address homelessness.