California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared that cities and counties must clear homeless encampments to receive state funding in the next year.
Newsom emphasized the importance of moving people out of encampments and into shelters, threatening to withhold state funding from jurisdictions that do not take sufficient action.
The big picture: The governor joined Caltrans in clearing homeless encampments in Los Angeles and stressed the need to see tangible results rather than just data or promises.
Flashback: Last month, Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to clear homeless encampments on state property.
- He also pushed local governments to do the same.
- His order came after the Supreme Court recently gave local governments the power to enforce anti-camping laws even if there are not enough homeless shelter beds available in a city or county.
What he’s saying: “I want to see results,” Newsom said at a press conference. “I don’t want to read about them. I don’t want to see the data. I want to see it.”
- He added, “If we don’t see demonstrable results, I’ll start to redirect money.”
- The governor said the homelessness crisis is broadly an indictment of counties.
- “We’re done with excuses,” Newsom said. “And the last big excuse was ‘well, the courts are saying we can’t do it.’ Well, that’s no longer the case. So we had a simple executive order. Do your job. No more excuses.”
