Santa Ana, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Section 10-400 states the purpose: keeping public parks, streets, alleys, parking lots, rights-of-way, parkways, and sidewalks accessible by prohibiting camping and property storage that create health and safety hazards. Section 10-401 defines 'camp' broadly to include pitching or occupying an encampment, using camp paraphernalia, sheltering outdoors overnight, or using a vehicle for human habitation, with detailed evidentiary factors, sleeping bags, cook stoves, trash accumulation, blocked vehicle windows, that establish camping even without an admission. Section 10-402 makes it unlawful to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia in the Civic Center, any median, or any 'Public Place' as separately defined in Section 10-701.

Section 10-403 separately bans storing personal property, defined to include shopping carts under Section 33-210, in those same locations, and Section 10-401(h) clarifies that moving property to another public spot, or returning within 1,000 feet of a prior citation location within 30 days, still counts as unlawful storage rather than removal. Enforcement under Section 10-404 mirrors the loitering article: a violation may be charged as an infraction or misdemeanor at the citing officer's discretion, the City may pursue civil actions and administrative penalties under Section 1-8, all remedies are cumulative, and the City may abate an unlawful encampment immediately as a public nuisance if it presents an imminent detriment to public health, safety, or welfare.

The article originated as Ordinance No. NS-2160 in 1992 and was substantially rewritten by Ordinance No. NS-3074 on January 21, 2025 to add the current camping and habitual-relocation definitions.