San Joaquin County Homelessness Digest

Finding a homeless loved one can be difficult. So can helping them once you’ve found them. Here are some tips from people who’ve been there.

After reading a CalMatters article, two people were able to reconnect with their homeless relatives. Here’s what happened next.

As part of the strategic priorities for 2025-2028, San Joaquin County Supervisors have directed a comprehensive examination on the effectiveness of county homeless services and shelters in getting local homeless off the streets.

In their April 29 meeting, the Stockton City Council opted not to proceed with a proposed $825,000 pilot project to relocate the homeless encamped in Angel Slough to a tent shelter on Calaveras Avenue.

A homeless man was injured by a train in Manteca on April 20 while trying to free his dog who was snagged on the tracks, the second such event in four days

Wickey Two Hands was supposed to be the first person tried for camping in Fresno. Instead, after the city and county poured resources into his case, it was dismissed at the last minute.

On an April 15 visit the the Reimagined Housing project at 22 South Main in Lodi, Representative Josh Harder delivered a $500,000 check to help fund the next phase of development, and praised the city's leadership in combatting homelessness.

Following a decision about the location of the next police station, City of Manteca officials announced that the homeless services navigation center and temporary housing will remain at 555 Industrial Park Drive, with plans to expand services.

A look at the City of Lodi Access Center which provides services to local homeless at 710 North Sacramento Street and considerations about selling it to a private vendor and contracting for continued operation.

The City of Stockton has a problem with local homeless tapping into, and disabling, fire hydrants.

State lawmakers will debate a bill to require annual inspections, new complaint processes and harsher penalties for local governments that don’t file mandatory reports.

A homeless encampment at the Lodi Softball Complex caused the cancellation of practice for the Lodi High softball team at the start of this season. Read on to learn more.

Read on for more information about the recent homeless sweep which resulted in 15 arrests by City of Manteca Police.

The Fremont city council has revised a new city camping ordinance, removing what had become a controversial clause — first reported on by CalMatters — that could have punished those  “aiding and abetting” encampments.

This appears to be the first such injunction since the U.S. Supreme Court let cities crack down on homeless encampments in California and beyond.

RED MEANS FAILURE, green means progress. Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced a new tracker tool this week that shows how local agencies are using state funds to eradicate homelessness and rates their success. The concept is to pool data on grants and reporting so counties can watch other counties; the public can watch state spending; and the governor can make the argument for granting or cutting funds.

It’s been eight months since the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed how cities in California and beyond can respond to homeless encampments, allowing them to clear camps and arrest people for sleeping outside — even when there’s nowhere else to sleep.

While local homeless make up a tiny fraction of the population of Manteca, they are responsible for a third of fires. Read on for details.

California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36, a new law that stiffened penalties for certain drug and theft charges, and pledged to provide “mass treatment” for those facing drug charges.

But since the law took effect, some counties have been scrambling to implement the measure without new funding or, according to people involved in enforcing the law, sufficient resources.

Shelters have become California’s go-to solution for homelessness. A CalMatters investigation finds the vast majority of residents stay homeless.

In their February 19 meeting, the Lodi City Council was given an update about the success of the city emergency shelter in transitioning dozens of homeless individuals to employment, housing and rehab. Read on for details.

Outreach workers in the Bay Area city of Fremont worry the new ordinance could target them, despite assurances from the city.

A partnership with the City of Lodi has been pitched by a resident and retired firefighter paramedic to fund homeless services. Read on to learn more about his plan to reduce the number of homeless individuals on the streets.

The unusual move is alarming activists who worry they could be in the ordinance’s crosshairs.

Jennielynn Holmes stood in the middle of a make-shift evacuation center when the scope of the crisis hit her.

Read on to learn more about the project to develop a homeless navigation center on an 8.1-acre parcel on South Main Street in Manteca.

There are big plans for the 8-acre parcel on South Main in Manteca, including a homeless navigation facility, library and community center and multi-story affordable housing. Read on for details.

In their December 18 meeting, the Lodi City Council approved a camping ban ordinance. Read on to learn about what comes next.

Learn how the City of Lodi and nonprofit partners are preparing to step up efforts to move homeless from encampments into shelter and services with an increased emphasis on accountability.

Gov. Newsom launched an ambitious program that uses Medi-Cal to help Californians access housing, healthy food and more. Now, its fate is in the hands of President-Elect Trump.

In their December 10 meeting, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of a 62-acre former golf course in Stockton, with plans to develop it into a safe caming zone for homeless.

The City of Manteca spends over $600,000 annually for security at the emergency homeless shelter on Industrial Park Drive. Read on to learn more.