Compassionate Assistance, Mitigation, and Prevention

Homeless Encampments in San Luis Obispo

The City of San Luis Obispo uses a collaborative, unified approach to addressing homelessness and is committed to exercising reasonable care, compassion and discretion when making decisions about homeless encampments in San Luis Obispo.

City staff and officials are committed to working with nonprofit services providers and County experts on homelessness. We are also committed to connecting individuals residing in the City’s outdoor/public spaces with services, resources, and shelter. In fact, housing and homelessness are Major City Goals for the City's 2023-25 Financial Plan. Specifically, the City is working to expand housing options for all community members and reduce chronic homelessness in San Luis Obispo (See: Homelessness Response Strategic Plan). Simultaneously, the City is responsible for maintaining environmental and regulatory compliance, and addressing community health, safety, and welfare concerns in accordance with the law.

Addressing homeless encampments is an important public service because encampments left unchecked can cause health, safety and environmental hazards for the community.

To uphold this responsibility, the City has established Compassionate Assistance, Mitigation and Prevention (CAMP) Standards as a framework to help reduce the negative impacts of homelessness in San Luis Obispo.

This webpage provides community members with an overview of the framework we use to address encampments and other resources.

Our Approach to Encampments

The City of San Luis Obispo refers to its Compassionate Assistance, Mitigation, and Prevention (“CAMP”) Standards whenever we are notified of an encampment in San Luis Obispo city. These standards offer a framework for our approach to encampments on public property.

The purpose of the CAMP Standards is to provide a consistent approach for:

connecting unsheltered individuals with shelter/housing solutions and critical services;
coordinating cleaning of trash, hazardous items and debris from encampment sites,
preventing health and safety emergencies at encampments, and
restoring and maintaining the City’s public spaces in a safe and accessible manner for all community members.

The City's approach focuses on assessment and support, agency and opportunity, and accountability. Staff must first assess the site before any action can be taken. If action can be taken by the City, staff are responsible for identifying the level of each site or encampment and following the related enforcement and communications guidelines. The different levels and actions are listed below.

Clean-up Timeframe

Should City staff determine that an encampment on public property must be removed and the area cleaned, below is the typical timeframe for that work:

Day 1 - 5: Receive request, assign to staff, assess the site.
Day 5 - 9: Post notice, request outreach services, and conduct outreach with support.
Day 9 -14: Camp and area cleanup, then follow-up.

Level 1: Immediate Removal

City staff members will assess encampments on public property to determine what action, if any, is needed. When an encampment on public land poses an imminent risk to public health, safety, or security, immediate action is required.

For example, if an encampment is blocking or encroaching on roadways, pathways, or fire lanes, that encampment poses an imminent risk to the safety of those camping and/or those traveling. If an encampment is in an area that has a high risk of fire or flooding, that also poses an imminent risk to the safety of those inhabiting the space or anyone else in the surrounding area.

If there is an imminent risk to public health, safety or security to inhabitants or anyone else in the surrounding area, the City will:

Reach out to each individual inhabitant present onsite
Offer opportunities to access emergency shelter and other services at 40 Prado Homeless Services Center and/or call on the Community Action Team or Mobile Crisis Unit to conduct a site visit.
Inform inhabitants of need and reason for immediate clean out.
Offer to store items that meet storage guidelines for up to 90 days.
Clean and clear the site.

Level 2: 72-hours for Removal

City staff members will assess encampments on public property to determine what action, if any, is needed. When alternative shelter is available, the City will clean or clear an encampment on public land that poses a significant but not immediate risk to public health, safety or security. For example, if an encampment has excessive trash or debris that pose risk to human life, safety and/or the environment, the City will take action to reduce those risks. In these cases, the City will provide at least 72 hours notice to the inhabitants and work with them to provide referrals for shelter, housing, and services.

If an encampment poses a significant but not immediate risk to public health, safety, or security, the City will:

Prepare and post a notice at least 72 hours prior to the removal of property. This notice will inform inhabitants of the need and reason for clearing or cleaning the area.
Offer opportunities to access emergency shelter and other services at 40 Prado Homeless Services Center.
Request outreach services from the Community Action Team or Mobile Crisis Unit to connect each individual present on site with the appropriate services.
Offer to store some items that meet temporary storage guidelines for up to 90 days.
Clean and clear the site.

Level 3:. No Removal, But Some Cleanup

City staff members monitor and assess encampments on public property to determine what action, if any, is needed.

Some encampments do not pose an imminent or significant risk to public health, safety, or security and inhabitants attempt to maintain a clean area by containing and organizing items and collecting and removing trash, recycling or debris.

In these cases, the City will:

Regularly monitor and assess the encampment sites to ensure that the conditions do not deteriorate or grow to unmanageable levels.
Allow encampments to remain for the time being while City outreach teams (CAT/MCU) work on relocation solutions and refer individuals to services and shelter or housing.
Advise encampment inhabitants on items to keep, store, or remove per City’s Temporary Storage Guidelines.
- Provide trash bags and instruct individual(s) on where trash should be placed for proper disposal (i.e., nearby dumpster, or location where collection will be scheduled).
- If individual(s) refuse to remove items after being given adequate time to collect and move property considering any special needs expressed to City staff or contractors by individuals present, and the volume of property over which an individual asserts ownership, a citation will be issued for the remaining items, as appropriate.

Temporary Storage of Personal Belongings

The City of San Luis Obispo recognizes the need for compassion when someone present at an encampment on public property cannot remove their belongings. In these situations, the City will store certain belongings for up to 90 days. Staff will determine what to store based on what they reasonably believe falls within the City's temporary storage guidelines. The City does not store personal belongings reasonably considered to be abandoned on public property.

Below is a quick reference of what may or may not be stored. The following is a truncated version of the guidelines for reference only. For a copy of the complete guidelines, reach out to Daisy Wiberg at dwiberg (at) slocity.org.

items to keep with you, items that can be stored and items that cannot be stored.

Who to Contact

Depending on where an encampment is located, different agencies will take the lead in homelessness response. In San Luis Obispo city, one of four agencies may take the lead.

City of San Luis Obispo: If on City public property, report it via Ask SLO.
County of San Luis Obispo: If on County public property, report via email at SS_HSDInfo@co.slo.ca.us or call 805-788-9491.
Caltrans: If on Caltrans right-of-way, report it via this Caltrans Customer Service Request Form.
Private property: If on private property in San Luis Obispo city, report it to Code Enforcement via Ask SLO.

To assist you in identifying the jurisdiction, please use the map below to pinpoint the location of the encampment, and contact the lead agency via the information provided.

(If the map does not load below, click here to open it in a new window.

Questions?

For questions about this framework or process, please contact the City's Homeless Response Manager Daisy Wiberg via email at dwiberg (at) slocity.org.

Related Information

Homelessness Prevention and Assistance (Community Development Department)
Community Action Team (SLO Police Department)
Mobile Crisis Unit (SLO Fire Department)
Ranger Service (SLO Parks & Recreation Department)

Service Providers and Agencies

Homeless Services Division of Social Services Department (County of SLO)
5Cities Homeless Coalition
CAPSLO
ECHO
Family Care Network
Independent Living Center
Shower The People
TMHA

City of San Luis Obispo, CA

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