The City of Palo Alto has repealed a 2013 ordinance prohibiting individuals from sleeping in their cars, campers, or RVs amid heavy criticism from homeless rights advocates and fears over a potential lawsuit.
Under the previous ordinance, sleeping in one’s vehicle could incur a fine of up to $1,000 or six months in jail. But that rule was tossed out Monday in a 7 to 1 vote by the city council.
"This is the right thing to do and this is the compassionate thing to do," said Council Member Gail Price. She and her colleagues were urged to overturn the ban by City Attorney Molly Stump and City Manager James Keene, who said the city could soon face costly legal actions as a result. “I do think [a lawsuit] is very likely if Palo Alto retains this ordinance and begins to enforce it,” Stump warned.
Palo Alto’s legal concerns were heightened after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled a similar law in Los Angeles to be unconstitutional. The 30-year-old law prohibiting the use of vehicles as “living quarters” was described as an overly-broad gateway to discrimination and deemed incompatible with the rule of law.
Palo Alto Council Member Larry Klein was the lone dissenter during Monday’s vote. He expressed concerns that the city would be encouraging transiency by repealing the ordinance and noted that a final legal determination on the issue could still be years in the making.
Palo Alto’s ordinance was passed last year after numerous complaints by city residents. It was placed on hold pending the court’s ruling in the case out of Los Angeles.
Read more about the Palo Alto City Council’s decision here.