Berkeley Passes Strict Laws For Sidewalks, Homeless

BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- Despite heated opposition from homeless advocates, the Berkeley city council voted Tuesday night in favor of a strict set of laws that will ban people from taking up more than 2 square feet of space on sidewalks.

The laws ban people from sleeping in planter beds, leaving any personal belongings in trees, and also tighten existing bans on public urination and defecation.

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Vice Mayor Linda Maio says the rules are meant to help the homeless.

"This is designed to create welcoming sidewalks for everyone," Maio said.

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The city plans to build new public bathrooms downtown, and create storage units for personal belongings.

Six council members voted in favor of the ordinances, while three others did not vote, BerkeleySide tweeted late Tuesday night.

In:
• Homelessness