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"It's time to move with urgency at the local level to clean up
these sites, to focus on public health and focus on public
safety. There are no longer any excuses," Newsom said in a video
posted on X announcing the new order.
California had 180,000 homeless people in 2023, more than any
other state, and the majority slept outdoors, according to the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Newsom's action followed a Supreme Court decision on June 28
reversing a ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that
found punishing people for sleeping outdoors when no shelter
beds are available was unconstitutional.
Some agencies and local governments refrained from removing the
encampments because of the Ninth Circuit ruling while others
faced lawsuits after they dismantled camps.
The governor told state agencies to prioritize removing camps
that pose health and safety risks, provide at least 48 hours
notice to the people affected, request social services for them
and store their belongings for at least 60 days.
California's transportation department has removed over 11,000
camps since July 2021 using similar policies.
Divya Shiv of Housing California, which sees affordable housing
as the solution, objected to Newsom's move, noting a Rand study
showed such cleanups in Los Angeles did not reduce the homeless
population long term.
"After a month or two people would come back, and that's because
the question is, where do they go if there isn't enough
affordable and supportive housing?" Shiv said.
Newsom's administration said it moved 165,000 homeless people
into temporary or permanent housing in fiscal year 2022-2023.
(Reporting by Liya Cui; editing by Donna Bryson and Cynthia
Osterman)
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