Anti-homeless laws may violate California’s equal protection doctrine
Overview Under California’s equal protection doctrine, Los Angeles Municipal Code 56.11 and similar laws that are designed to harass the homeless may be unconstitutional. In 2016, the Los Angeles City Council adopted LAMC 56.11 to address the city’s homeless encampments.[1] The law’s purpose is to “balance the needs” of residents to access “clean and sanitary” public areas with the “homeless population[’s]” property interests, and it prohibits storing “any tangible property” in public areas.[2] The ordinance permits the city to confiscate and destroy such property if it violates the law’s size, placement, or personal attendance requirements after written notice.[3] The ordinance...