\u201cIn terms of the \u2018no camping\u2019 ordinance, I don\u2019t know that has had a dramatic effect in terms of reducing the number of unhoused and homeless folks in the community,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I will say is that we are doing our best to respond to some of the complaints from community members, whether it\u2019s in a residential area, business area,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dyer said law is also helping to connect people to services: about 250 new people cycle through the city\u2019s 700 estimated shelter beds every month, he said.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s Homeless Assistance Response Team, a team comprised of police and code enforcement officers, establishes contact with the unhoused with the hopes that they will agree to go into a shelter or accept some sort or preventative services, Dyer said. He wants to add a second HART team in the fiscal year 2027 budget, though the proposal has been met with some criticism<\/a>.<\/p>\n Homeless advocates say it\u2019s not fair to punish people when there aren\u2019t enough shelter beds to meet the need.<\/p>\n There are 3,250 people experiencing homelessness across Fresno and Madera counties in 2026, including 1,619 unsheltered and 1,635 sheltered, according to preliminary, unverified results from the 2026 point-in-time count.<\/a> The PIT count is a snapshot of the homeless population nationwide on a date selected by federal housing officials. The count is used to determine state funding and local resources.<\/p>\n Bob McCloskey, an activist and reporter for Community Alliance, said that the city\u2019s approach to disbanding large homeless encampments that have cropped up over the years,<\/a> plus the anti-camping ordinance, are pushing more people into neighborhoods and in front of businesses.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not their fault they\u2019re in your neighborhoods,\u201d he said. \u201cThe city drove them into your neighborhoods.\u201d<\/p>\n Dyer said he supports laws that would allow for conservatorships for those with severe mental illness<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have people that are out there on the streets today that cannot care for themselves, they are facing a serious mental health conditions…. and we do not have a way truly to compel those into mental health beds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Fresno\u2019s anti-camping ordinance<\/p>\n The 2024 ordinance states that \u201cno person may sit, lie, sleep or camp on a property designated as a sensitive use<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Those determined to be in violation of the law can be charged with a misdemeanor crime and face a $1,000 fine or up to one year in the Fresno County Jail if they refuse to enter drug treatment as an alternative to facing charges.<\/p>\n The June 2024 Supreme Court decision, Grants Pass v. Johnson<\/a> \u2014 which ruled that state and local governments could enforce ordinances that ban homeless people from camping and occupying public land and municipalities \u2014 paved the way for cities like Fresno to pursue the anti-camping ordinance.<\/p>\n The ruling overturned precedent set by the Martin v. Boise case decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit that said governments could not enforce anti-camping legislation when there are not enough shelter beds available for every homeless person under their jurisdiction.<\/p>\n Fresno\u2019s ordinance has faced several challenges since its implementation.<\/p>\n A lawsuit filed in December argued the city\u2019s ordinance is discriminatory because it targets the unhoused with arrests and malicious prosecution<\/a>.<\/p>\n In November, the city lost its first jury trial related to the anti-camping ordinance<\/a>.<\/p>\n Following the trial loss, the Fresno City Council voted at its Dec. 18 meeting to broaden its definition of the term \u201ccamp\u201d under the ordinance to include, but not be limited to: sitting, lying, sleeping, and or storing or placing a tent or material intended for shelter or bedding in a public place as the punishable offense. The amended ordinance also added language that prohibits \u201cloitering or standing in or upon any public highway, alley, sidewalk or crosswalk or sensitive use or other public way.\u201d<\/p>\n City Attorney Andrew Janz said these changes strengthened the ordinance language to make it \u201ceven more defensible.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n![\"Fresno](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FRS_EPZ_DYER_INTERVIEW_02.JPG\" "\\"FRS_EPZ_DYER_INTERVIEW_02.JPG\\"")
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer addresses a wide range of topics during a Q&A session with Bee reporter Melissa Montalvo Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 at City Hall in Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com <\/p>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FRS_EPZ_HOMELESS_02.JPG\" "\\"FRS_EPZ_HOMELESS_02.JPG\\"")
Two homeless men take shelter from the rain in a doorway in Fresno’s Chinatown Wednesday morning, Dec 24, 2025 in Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FRS_EPZ_HOMELESS_03.JPG\" "\\"FRS_EPZ_HOMELESS_03.JPG\\"")
A woman stares as homeless gather on a sidewalk along G Street Friday, Dec. 26, 2025 in downtown Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com <\/p>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Melissa_Montalvo_Headshot.jpeg\")