City attorney: Supreme Court Grants Pass decision gives cities more leeway to enforce camping ordinances

Temple City’s City Attorney told the council on July 16 that the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in the Grants Pass, Oregon case alters the legal landscape for enforcing anti-camping ordinances. The attorney said the ruling permits cities to cite or jail individuals for public camping when the conduct violates an ordinance and the individual has refused available services.

The attorney emphasized that the decision is a tool for dealing with a subset of cases — for example, people who repeatedly refuse offered services — and is not intended to justify broad, citywide sweeps. He said Temple City staff and sheriff’s deputies will continue to prioritize offering services, shelter and beds when available; the Grants Pass decision gives staff clearer authority to address individuals who refuse assistance and continue to camp in violation of local law.

Councilmembers asked about the practical effect locally; the attorney said Temple City is unlikely to change its operational approach dramatically but now has a clearer enforcement option for “one-off” cases where individuals decline help. The briefing framed the ruling as an additional mechanism for encouraging service acceptance rather than a mandate for aggressive enforcement.

What happens next: staff and the sheriff’s department will continue outreach and service-first approaches; the city now has an added enforcement option for limited circumstances when an individual refuses services and violates a local camping ordinance.