Newsom Issues Executive Order To Remove Homeless Encampments Across California

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered homeless encampment sweeps across the state after a Supreme Court decision last month gave cities more authority to deal with the issue.

Newsom’s executive order advises county and city officials to clean up thousands of homeless encampments, although the order does not force officials to do cleanups, The New York Times reported.

“The state has been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets,” Newsom said in a statement.

“There are simply no more excuses,” he said. “It’s time for everyone to do their part.”

The Supreme Court ruled last month that cities can enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside in public places even if there is not enough shelter space to accommodate them, saying such laws do not violate the Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

The original case involved the Oregon town of Grants Pass, which tried to fine people $295 for sleeping outside when tents began crowding the town’s public parks.

Before the court’s decision, homeless encampments continued to spread in California, Oregon, and Washington while city officials remained limited in what they could do to address the problem, especially since homeless people often refuse shelter beds.

Newsom’s order reportedly requires state agencies to work with local governments to house homeless people and provide them with services, not simply move them along. Newsom’s administration has poured about $24 billion into the homeless issue since 2019.

After the Supreme Court’s decision, Newsom said the ruling “provides state and local officials the definitive authority to implement and enforce policies to clear unsafe encampments from our streets.”

“This decision removes the legal ambiguities that have tied the hands of local officials for years and limited their ability to deliver on common-sense measures to protect the safety and well-being of our communities,” the governor said at the time, adding that California remains “committed to respecting the dignity and fundamental human needs of all people.”

Homelessness has plagued California for years. The state has the highest homeless population in the country by far. About 180,000 people were homeless last year across the state, and about 123,000 are unsheltered on a given night, according to the latest homeless count.

Last week, San Francisco Democratic Mayor London Breed announced the city plans to be “very aggressive and assertive in moving encampments.”

The city has struggled for years with rampant homelessness, crime, and open-air drug use driven by fentanyl, all of which have driven people and businesses out of downtown. About 38,000 people are homeless in the Bay Area on a given night. That’s up 35% since 2019.

Homeless encampments near freeways, under overpasses, and near exit ramps have also become so common that California’s transportation department now has its own protocol and workers for clearing encampments.