Sonora, CA — The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors gave direction to staff about the operations at Camp Justice, the sanctioned homeless camp at the county-owned Justice Center property off Old Wards Ferry Road.
It was established in April of 2024 as a one-year pilot program, and later this year, it was extended through December. It is an emergency place for people to camp, in the short term, as they look to transition to other housing. Supporters noted that it is a central location, and keeping people from camping in other previous hotspots that led to trash being left behind and other pollution.
At Tuesday’s board of Supervisors meeting, Health and Human Services Agency Director Annie Hockett told the board there is Encampment Resolution Funding available for the county to continue operations through September. After several questions were posed, and some concerns raised, the board gave direction 4-0 (Supervisor Mike Holland was absent) to continue running the camp with some immediate changes. They include things like limiting stays to 120 days, cleaning at least once a month (with the ability to do more if deemed needed), and mandating that all RVs be removed by January 31st. It was acknowledged that it could be challenging to find locations for RVs, but it is something that the county’s homelessness committee is looking into.
The county will also explore other things, like developing a long-term plan for Camp Justice and searching for future available funding beyond September.
