Despite ordinance, Sterling still struggling with homelessness and shelter capacity

Seven months after the city of Sterling implemented a controversial public camping ordinance to address increasing complaints of homeless individuals breaking the law or harassing people, only a handful of citations have been issued and the broader issues surrounding homelessness remain.

The ordinance bans public camping, including setting up campsites, tents and bedding or sleeping in vehicles on public property such as sidewalks, streets, parks and city-owned land. Sleeping in a vehicle overnight is prohibited, with violations occurring if a vehicle is parked for more than two hours between midnight and 6 a.m. without city permission.

Police Chief Alex Chavira says that since the ordinance took effect Dec. 7, the Sterling Police Department has issued five citations. He said none of those cited have appeared for their hearings or paid the associated fines. Additionally, no individuals have opted for the alternative penalty of performing public service, such as cleaning a public right-of-way.

Chavira also said the ordinance has not made a significant difference in the number of service calls the Sterling Police Department receives related to issues with homeless individuals.

He said that between Sept. 1, 2023, and Sept. 17, 2024, Sterling police responded to more than 700 service calls regarding homeless individuals. Those calls resulted in 113 arrests and nine citations, including in connection with property crimes, drug-related offenses, violent crimes, disorderly conduct and public disturbance, obstruction and identification issues, as well as violations of sex offender registration and protection orders.

“We continue to receive calls related to unhoused individuals for various underlying reasons: public intoxication, battery, disorderly conduct, trespassing, indecent exposure, to name a few,” Chavira said.

While the need to enforce the ordinance has been limited, Chavira highlighted that some people have been repeatedly cited.

“Four of the five citations were issued to two individuals who abandoned one encampment and built another,” Chavira said. “In the first incident, Public Works used the large loader to fill two dump trucks full of garbage.”

He said the second encampment was also abandoned, leaving the city’s Public Works department to clean up the mess.

Despite these incidents, Chavira said the city has seen a shift in its homeless population.

“We have noticed there is a new group of homeless people in town,” Chavira said. “The folks we were dealing with when the ordinance passed have moved along. I believe some from the original group were assisted in getting back to their home state by various local resources.”

Chavira also noted that while formal complaints about the ordinance have not surfaced, residents have raised questions about how officers are addressing violations. He emphasized that enforcement remains rooted in respectful engagement and the department does its best to connect these individuals with community resources.

City Attorney Tim Zollinger confirmed that no legal challenges have been brought against the ordinance to date. Should one arise, he said the city is prepared to defend its actions in court.

“In particular, we will note the 2024 United States Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson, which allows municipalities to adopt such code provisions,” Zollinger told Shaw Local. “The city also continues to offer assistance to those who need access to resources, with information and referral. ”

The June 2024 Supreme Court ruling gave municipalities broader authority to regulate public camping, even when local shelters lack capacity, effectively overturning a previous interpretation of the Eighth Amendment that had limited such actions.

Meanwhile, the city’s only overnight homeless shelter continues to operate under strain. Twin Cities PADS Shelter Director Myles Newberry reported earlier this year that the facility had reached capacity with 30 nightly residents – a significant jump from the usual five to 10. He recently said those numbers have not changed.

“We’re still very busy and we still really need help,” Newberry said. “Thankfully, more people having been helping with providing meals but as a whole, volunteerism isn’t what it used to be. And I get it. Everyone has their own struggles. But when we come together, we tend to do better.”

The shelter operates with a reduced staff and a dwindling volunteer base, and Newberry said additional personnel and funding are urgently needed.

Both law enforcement and Newberry cite mental health and substance abuse as common barriers to providing long-term solutions for Sterling’s homeless people.

Despite the city having taken a legal and procedural step toward managing its homeless crisis, the deeper structural issues remain unresolved.

“I don’t think that homelessness is going to have a serious turn until we as a society accept that there are certain problems like mental health that are a major factor in all of this,” Newberry said. “Whether you want to say the mental health crisis is due to the foods we eat or the drugs we’re taking or whatever, it’s a problem, and the current solutions haven’t helped. I don’t know what the answer is. We just try to be what we are meant to be – a place for people to sleep at night.”