Some homeless people refuse shelter beds. In one Bay Area county, that could soon be a crime
LOS ANGELES — San Mateo County officials are hoping to add an unusual tactic to their multipronged approach to tackling the homelessness crisis: making it a crime to refuse to accept available, temporary housing.
In a unanimous vote this week, county supervisors moved forward with the proposal — despite significant opposition from civil rights groups and some homeless advocates — which would allow authorities to issue a misdemeanor violation to anyone living in a homeless encampment who refuses to move into available, temporary housing after a health evaluation
