Morning report: The verdict that changes everything … nothing

The U.S. Supreme Court made clear on Friday in a landmark ruling in the Grants Pass case that bans on camping for the homeless do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, opening the door for a tougher crackdown on tent camps in West Coast cities.

This is what San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Governor Gavin Newsom were desperate to achieve. So what does this mean for San Diego?

Not much.

Representatives of Mayor Todd Gloria and City Attorney Mara Elliott told our Lisa Halverstadt that they see the Supreme Court ruling as a validation of the camping that has been going on in the city for a year. Gloria’s team says there are no immediate changes planned in the way the police deal with the homeless.

But not only the city: Friday’s ruling could lead to further significant changes in other parts of the country

Escondido politicians, who passed a new camping ban last week, have already indicated that they might adjust their new ordinance based on Friday’s ruling – even before the court announced its decision.

And San Diego County, which is considering its own camping ban for the region’s unincorporated areas, is now drafting its ordinance with the new reality in mind.

Read the full story.

Political report: On the verdict

Scott Lewis also addressed the Grants Pass decision on Saturday’s Politics Report. He also has an important update on state tax policy that could mean the city’s first effort to impose a tax on stormwater infrastructure is either in trouble or a complete failure.

And he takes a look at the Biden panic from San Diego’s perspective.

Read the policy report here.

Elo-Rivera advocates for cash assistance and expropriation to combat the plight of homeless shelters

Council President Sean Elo-Rivera is proposing bold steps to help the city cope with the expected loss of hundreds of shelter homes by year’s end.

In a memo to Mayor Todd Gloria on Friday, Elo-Rivera suggested that city staff work with the city attorney to initiate foreclosure and amicable foreclosure proceedings to secure homeless shelters, with priority given to vacant, blighted properties. In addition, the city and its housing authority should explore the possibility of providing direct financial assistance to current homeless shelter residents who could use the assistance to secure housing.

Elo-Rivera’s memo also calls on the city to issue a request for proposals by August 1 for private property owners who could make their land available for emergency shelters, and asks the city’s Economic Development Department to submit its assessment of the public lands and criteria for determining viability to the City Council by September 30 for further direction.

“This is an emergency, and to effectively address this emergency, it is imperative that San Diego leaders explore and pursue all options to expand our capacity and provide safe and stable housing to our homeless neighbors as quickly as possible,” Elo-Rivera wrote.