New City of Riverside Ordinance Requires Advance Notice Before Dropping Off Unhoused Person Within City Limits

Published: 7/28/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

July 28, 2026

Contact:

Phil Pitchford

Public Information Officer

951-826-5975

[email protected]

New City of Riverside Ordinance Requires Advance Notice Before Dropping Off Unhoused Person Within City Limits

Effort attempts to ensure services are available before an unhoused person is transported to Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The City of Riverside has begun requiring advanced notice from organizations that plan to transport an unhoused person into the city limits so that necessary arrangements can be made before someone is dropped off, not after.

A new ordinance applies to organizations transporting into the City of Riverside any individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence. The measure is designed to ensure continuity of care, protect public health and safety, and responsibly manage limited municipal resources.

First time offenders will receive a warning, and second time offenders will receive an administrative citation, which could include an administrative hearing and appeal procedures. The City would retain the right to pursue civil remedies to collect unpaid administrative fines.

The written notice may be submitted through a website form. Once completed, the form will provide notification to the City Manager and the Director of Housing and Human Services. Notifications must be received at least 24 hours prior to the drop-off, which must occur during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to allow city staff and service providers to coordinate shelter placement, behavioral health services, and housing navigation.

Additional information can be found at riversideca.gov/HHS.

"Ensuring an unhoused person has the best chance at success requires coordination of services, and that is made infinitely more difficult when an individual is brought to our city in a haphazard way," Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. "Riverside is committed to assisting unhoused people living in our city on the path to self-reliance, and this ordinance will give us the best opportunity to do that."

The system will allow the City to identify the place of origin of individuals transported into Riverside; improve coordination with service providers to reduce the likelihood that individuals are released into unsheltered conditions; facilitate interjurisdictional dialogue regarding shared responsibility and funding; and ensure that limited city shelter and outreach resources are managed effectively.

The ordinance regulates institutional transportation practices and does not restrict an individual's right to travel or relocate. It does not criminalize homelessness and does not prohibit charitable acts or basic survival assistance as outlined in Government Code section 53069.44.

The ordinance recognizes that, despite significant state and local investments, the supply of emergency shelter beds and affordable housing remains insufficient to meet demand. The 2025 Point-in-Time Count administered by the Riverside County Continuum of Care identified 614 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness within the City of Riverside.

The City of Riverside has made substantial investments through its Homelessness Action Plan, expansion of shelter capacity, housing navigation services, and coordinated outreach efforts conducted by the Public Safety and Engagement Team (PSET). The city also partners extensively with nonprofit service providers and Riverside County agencies to deliver shelter, recuperative care, behavioral health services, and permanent housing placement.

Part of Riverside's struggle is the fact that, as a regional hub for services, Riverside is home to the Robert Presley Detention Center, regional hospitals, behavioral health facilities, motels being used as shelters and emergency shelter providers.

The presence of these facilities has contributed to an influx of individuals experiencing homelessness who originate from outside city boundaries, often without prior coordination or a confirmed housing or service plan. Sometimes individuals are cited or arrested in their home jurisdictions for low-level offenses and subsequently released within the City of Riverside without a stable housing plan, resulting in individuals remaining within the city.

In addition, data from local recuperative care providers show that a significant percentage of patients originate from outside the city, and a substantial portion remain in Riverside following discharge without a permanent housing plan, leaving them homeless in Riverside.

For example, the City recently documented an incident in which a Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy transported and dropped off an individual experiencing homelessness from the City of Jurupa Valley outside of the Riverside Access Center without prior coordination with City staff or service providers.

Such a move places a greater strain on Riverside's limited shelter beds, outreach capacity, and housing resources. City documents show its costs about $63,000 to provide shelter, rental assistance, housing navigation, case management, and outreach services to stabilize one unsheltered individual, which can create a disproportionate service and financial burden on the City and reduce resources available for people for whom Riverside has primary responsibility.

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