As California struggles with a growing homelessness crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom has again urged local governments to do more to clean up encampments and provide for unhoused people in cities and counties across the state.
Applying Pressure to Local Officials
California Gov. Gavin Newsom ramped up the pressure on local jurisdictions last week, giving public officials a time limit to address the widespread problem of homeless encampments around the state.
A Scar on California’s Reputation
Newsom has taken a super-charged approach to the homelessness crisis, calling it the “biggest scar on the reputation of California.” It’s also one of the biggest scars on Newsom’s reputation as state governor.
Shifting the Blame?
Some suspect that Newsom, who has served as Governor for five years, is unfairly shifting the blame and burden from the state government – himself included – to city and county officials instead.
Repeated Threats
California has struggled with mass homelessness for years, with no sign of a meaningful reduction. Newsom has repeatedly threatened to cut funding for homelessness programs to counties and cities that are dragging their feet on the issue.
Encampment Cleanup
He applied the same pressure again last week, during a media event in Los Angeles where he participated in an encampment cleanup and gave a public address on the problem.
“Counties Need to Do More”
“I’ll be candid with you. This is more broadly an indictment of counties. […] Counties need to do more,” he told reporters at the event. “If we don’t see demonstrable results, I’ll start to redirect money.”
“No More Excuses”
“No more excuses. You’ve got the money, you got the flexibility, you got the green light, you got support from the state, and the public is demanding it of you,” he continued.
California is Fed Up
Newsom described himself and “40 million” other Americans as “fed up” with the lack of progress.
Supreme Court Ruling
He also mentioned the “hurdles” that had been cleared by the state government to make progress easier. This referred to a Supreme Court decision made in June which ruled that the removal of homeless encampments was not a violation of constitutional rights, as has been claimed in the past.
Enforcing Anti-Camping Laws
What’s more, local governments can now issue fines, citations, and even jail time for individuals or groups who violate anti-camping laws.
More Freedom for States and Counties
The ruling makes it much easier for state and local governments to clear encampments across the country. Within a month of the Supreme Court’s decision, Newsom issued an executive order urging state agencies to take action.
Executive Order
“This executive order directs state agencies to move urgently to address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them – and provides guidance for cities and counties to do the same,” he said in a statement accompanying the order.
Not Enough Funding Anyway
However, local officials have claimed that threats to cut funding have little impact since the funding they receive is not enough to create viable, sustainable, and long-term alternatives to the encampment problem.
Better Support Infrastructure Needed
Ideally, counties and cities would develop more infrastructure to help house and care for the large populations of unhoused people, many of whom also struggle with drug addiction and mental health issues.
An Underfunded Issue
The reality is that these localities are rarely promised long-term funding for these efforts, often given one-off grants that aren’t sufficient to maintain new facilities and services.
League of California Cities Speaks
The League of California Cities, a statewide association that advocates for California cities, has previously spoken out against the Governor’s past speeches which rail against the homeless crisis while failing to address these funding issues.
“Not the Time to Play Politics”
“Now is not the time to play politics when people’s lives are at stake,” said LCC CEO Carolyn Coleman back in 2022, following a similar announcement from Newsom. “Failing to release state funding will not put roofs over the heads of Californians or deliver desperately needed supportive services.”
180,000 Unhoused People
According to the most recent Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Golden State now has more than 180,000 unhoused people within its borders.
Nearly Twice New York
This makes it the state with the largest homeless population by an enormous margin. By comparison, the second most populous state, New York, has just 103,000.
Not Enough Shelter Space
The Public Policy Institute of California, a non-profit think tank, recently reported that the state only has 71,000 shelter beds available. With less than half the capacity to house California’s homeless, it highlights how difficult the problem is for local officials – regardless of the added pressure the Governor places on them.
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