Supervisors pass parks sleeping ban with 30-day services exception after heated debate

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed on first reading an ordinance amending the park code to prohibit sleeping, cooking and modifying park landscape to create shelter during extended hours and adding an exception that prevents citation if the cited person has not previously been cited and accepts social services within 30 days.

The ordinance originally proposed prohibiting sleeping or creating shelter in parks from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.; that change prompted detailed debate about enforcement, outreach and the availability of services. Ally Schlager, staff to the Local Homeless Coordinating Board, told the board the panel "firmly believes that this issue is an issue about homelessness because it greatly affects that population" and recommended keeping the existing 10 p.m.–6 a.m. hours, requiring services be offered before citation, and that acceptance of services should prevent citation.

Supervisor Daly offered a motion to include language that would make a person not in violation if within the five days prior to citation a duly authorized representative had offered temporary or permanent housing and the person willfully refused the offer. That motion was put to a roll-call vote and failed, 5 ayes to 6 noes. Another motion by Supervisor McGoldrick to retain the current 10 p.m.–6 a.m. hours also failed, 4 ayes to 7 noes.

Supervisor McGoldrick offered an amendment that created an explicit exception: a person cited would not be in violation if they had not previously received a citation and, within 30 days of issuance, they accepted social services. The board adopted that amendment, 7 ayes to 4 noes, after which the ordinance as amended passed on first reading by an 8-3 vote.

Proponents of the amendments said the changes added a "carrot" of services in addition to enforcement and aligned the ordinance with recommendations from the Local Homeless Coordinating Board and the city's Housing First approach. Opponents warned that lengthening hours without guaranteed services risks displacing people without providing housing and that citations can create warrants that hinder access to employment and housing.

During debate, Supervisor Daly emphasized that the amendment he offered would put a housing-offer requirement into law so the rule would be enforced only after outreach and an offer of housing or services. Others, including Supervisor Sandoval and Supervisor Mirkarimi, argued enforcement capacity and the availability of shelter beds remain inadequate and cautioned about criminalizing homelessness when services are not yet available.

The final roll call on the ordinance as amended recorded 8 ayes and 3 noes; the clerk announced the ordinance "passed on first reading as amended." The ordinance will return for the usual second reading and further administrative steps before any enforcement change takes effect.

Ending: Supervisors framed the vote as an attempt to balance park safety and public access with the city's obligation to offer housing and services, but several members urged follow-up oversight to monitor enforcement, service offers, and the impact on neighboring areas.