After high court ruling, Newsom orders state officials to dismantle homeless encampments
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered state officials to dismantle thousands of homeless encampments across the state.
The move comes on the heels of a recent Supreme Court decision that gave local and state governments more latitude to remove people experiencing homelessness from their streets.
Newsom can't force cities and counties to dismantle homeless encampments but is advising local authorities the best way to take action.
“There are no longer any excuses,” Newsom said in a video posted on X. "A billon dollars this state has invested to support communities to clean up these encampments."
Local governments now have the tools they need to address the decades-long issue of homelessness.
Today, we are issuing an executive order that directs state agencies & urges locals to address encampments while connecting those living in them to housing & supportive services. pic.twitter.com/z9dYwAct5w— California Governor (@CAgovernor) July 25, 2024
How Newsom's homelessness order may affect California
The governor’s new homelessness directive will order other state agencies, such as Caltrans, California State Parks and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to first target encampments that pose a health and safety risk.
Those agencies will give 48 to 72 hours of advance notice to people in the encampments while working with local homeless organizations to help those experiencing homelessness. Personal property collected at each site will be bagged, tagged, and stored for at least 60 days, according to a proclamation issued Thursday by the governor's office.
The state cannot legally force cities to adopt this policy, though.
Newsom's office has not returned messages from the USA TODAY Network on the new policy.
Some California cities are already making homelessness policy changes
Even before Newsom's announcement about the state's crackdown on homeless encampments, other cities across California have made initial moves to address homelessness on their streets.
In Palm Springs, the City Council passed a sweeping new homeless enforcement ordinance in early July that grants police new power to arrest people who build encampments or sleep in public areas.
Related news: Stockton to weigh stricter enforcement of city's homelessness laws
Last week, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that city would begin "very aggressive" sweeps of homeless encampments in August.
Other cities, including Lancaster, Fresno, Chico, Stockton and Folsom, are considering or already developing new homelessness policies.
Newsom's homelessness policy change comes after passage of Proposition 1
In March, voters narrowly passed the Newsom-backed Proposition 1, which authorized the state to borrow $6.38 billion to build 4,350 housing units and add 6,800 mental health and addiction treatment beds across the state.
Newsom's ambitious measure is intended to improve and expand the state's mental health services, representing one of the most significant statewide investments to manage the growing homelessness crisis.
California has nearly half of the nation's unsheltered population, and nationwide surveys suggest at least 21% of those experiencing homelessness report having a serious mental illness, and 16% report having a substance use disorder.
Studies and point-in-time surveys have estimated an even larger proportion of the homeless and unsheltered population have or have a history of mental health conditions or substance abuse.
This is a developing story. Check back later for more developments.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Gavin Newsom announces change in California homelessness policy
