It is illegal to live on the streets in California.
Posted by On with Kara Swisher, Checked
- Sources
- 2 contradict1 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 60%
On with Kara SwisherAug 10, 2026
Sources show that many California cities have made living or camping on the street illegal and can enforce those ordinances, but no source shows a statewide ban; sources describe it as up to individual jurisdictions, so the blanket statewide claim is not supported as stated.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… You've got to help people where, and you're never going to get people helped if they are on the streets living in those conditions. Do we fine homeless people? We put them in jail? What's enforcing the law mean for people who are at the end of enforcement? Well, it's illegal to live on the streets. It's against the law. It's always been against the law, and so I, you've got to physically take people off the streets and put them somewhere where they can get better. Well, for example, there's a really interesting proposal from down near San Diego, a disused military base to use as a shelter. …
On with Kara Swisher · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. The IJPR report states that while many cities have made encampments illegal, it is up to individual jurisdictions whether to do so, which undercuts a uniform statewide prohibition.[2]
Contradicts. A PBS on-the-record transcript includes a rebuttal that the candidate's description is the enforcement standard rather than the actual law, and that camping on the street is not legal for everyone regardless of other factors, so living on the street is not a clear statewide offense.[1]
Supports. Many California cities have made homeless encampments illegal, and cities may enforce anti-camping laws even without enough shelter following the June 2024 Supreme Court ruling.[2][3]
Context. Courts have restricted criminalizing sleeping outdoors when no shelter is available (Martin v. Boise, 2018), and California has no legal right to shelter, so enforcement and legality depend on local ordinances and circumstances.[3][4]
Sources
4 sources: 1 tier 2, 3 not rated
- 1California Governor Candidates on Homelessness and Mental ...pbs.org · tier 2 · cited for: contradicts
- 2How will California’s next governor handle homelessness?ijpr.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts, supports
- 3Guide to Homelessness and the Law in Los Angeles | Law Soup LAla.lawsoup.org · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 4Did Homeless Residents Get Housing After Newsom Photo-Op?api.politifact.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
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- The State of Texas passed a law banning homeless encampments and withholding funding from cities that fail to comply.True
- In 2018, the California state legislature legalized street vendors and prohibited local governments from regulating them based on competition with brick-and-mortar businesses.True
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