Concerned that preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics could push more unhoused people into the High Desert, Barstow Councilmember John “Tex” Williams is leading an effort to create a regional coalition aimed at addressing homelessness before the games begin.
He spearheaded a Homeless Town Hall on Thursday, Aug. 6, to discuss proactive measures Victor Valley cities can take together to combat the potential influx. City leaders are predicting that many of Los Angeles’s tens of thousands of homeless will be bused to High Desert cities in an effort to clean up the streets prior to the international competition.
“We have to get our homeless into shelters before then so we can identify who is being dropped off,” Barstow Deputy Fire Chief Bruce English said.
In attendance at the town hall were Apple Valley Mayor Scott Nassif and Adelanto Councilwoman Amanda Uptergrove, who have both agreed to be a part of the regional coalition.
“Had we gotten ahead of this years ago, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Nassif said. As of April 2026, San Bernardino County has identified a total of 3,718 people experiencing homelessness within its boundaries. Numbers for Apple Valley, Adelanto, Hesperia and Barstow increased in this year’s Point-in-Time Count.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Police Department saddled nearly three dozen horse patrols to scatter homeless people into less visible areas downtown ahead of the Olympic Games in 1984.
In 2024, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass pledged that the city would not remove the troves of individuals living in tents in preparation for the 2028 Olympics. County officials issued a strategy report in February 2026 on how to clear people from encampments near the major event arenas and move them into temporary housing. This raised concerns about restricted occupancy and the lack of funding for such an initiative.
“This is not an issue just for one community; this is all over,” Nassif said to an audience of concerned residents at the Barstow town hall.
As local leaders debate the potential impact of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on High Desert communities, Williams is working to unite regional elected officials around a common strategy for addressing homelessness. The effort aims to establish a coalition of Victor Valley cities that can share resources, improve coordination and prepare for any increase in homeless populations that officials fear could accompany Olympic-related cleanup efforts in Los Angeles.
‘It’s not a violation of law to be homeless’
The number of the unhoused is contested in Barstow, according to Williams. Last year, San Bernardino County estimated a total of 96 homeless individuals in Barstow. The fire department counted 135; Williams counted 145.
“I bet you that number is about 200 right now,” he said.
According to Barstow Police Chief Christopher Kirby, the city does not dump the unhoused as other agencies do. Instead, the Barstow police ask for the address and phone number of where the individual in question wants to go. Barstow police also do not arrest unhoused individuals without cause.
“It’s not a violation of law to be homeless,” he said. “We’re not arresting people for being homeless.” Instead, they are arrested for warrants and city code violations.
English says there is no reason for anyone to be homeless in Barstow with the amount of resources offered.
The city does not have a homeless shelter. Rather, they work with nonprofit organizations to help place the unhoused. There are 96 beds at Seed & Shelter, a supportive living environment for individuals on probation, and 40 at A New Hope Village, according to city officials.
Uptergrove committed to a partnership between her outreach ministry, New Leaf Ministries in Adelanto, and Seed & Shelter in Barstow at the August town hall. On the day of the meeting, her ministry donated 400 bags of clothes for the unhoused individuals that the Barstow nonprofit helps regularly.
McKenna Mobley is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at mmobley@usatodayco.com or on Instagram @mckenna_dailypress.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: High Desert leaders discuss regional homeless strategy before 2028 Olympics
Reporting by McKenna Mobley, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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By McKenna Mobley, Victorville Daily Press | USA TODAY Network
