California Gov. Gavin Newsom directed his state’s agencies to sweep homeless encampments in an executive order on Thursday. His announcement pointed to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave the Golden State governor more tools to address homelessness for the safety and well-being of communities.
The ruling sided with Grants Pass, Oregon, saying the city ordinances banning homeless encampments in public areas do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, as prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. The ordinances apply even when shelter isn’t available.
“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,” Newsom said in a statement. “The state has been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets. There are simply no more excuses. It’s time for everyone to do their part.”
California’s poor record on homelessness
This executive order comes as Vice President Kamala Harris — a former district attorney, attorney general, and senator from California — inherited the 2020 presidential campaign after President Joe Biden stepped down as the Democratic nominee. Newsom reportedly also has aspirations for the White House.
As Harris gears up her campaign against Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, her and her state’s record on homelessness and crime is bound to become an issue.
According to CalMatters, the last official count found more than 181,000 homeless individuals in the state, the largest nationwide.
In recent years, elected officials in California have tried to clear campsites but now, “there is no longer any barrier to local governments,” Newsom’s executive order states. It acknowledged that these encampments subject people to “extreme weather, fires, predatory and criminal activity, and widespread substance use.” They endanger the health and safety of communities and businesses around these areas, the order says.
Newsom touted his administration’s record-level $24 billion investment in the issue while acknowledging its complexity.
California mayors react to Newsom’s executive order
Newsom earned criticism from homeless advocacy groups. The National Homelessness Law Center’s senior policy director Eric Tarssaid said the executive order “is an attempt to misdirect attention away from the people who are responsible for that affordable housing crisis, the state and local elected leaders who have permitted it to grow so bad, and to put the focus back on the individuals who are actually the victims of that failure.”
But mayors across California offered the governor praise and ramped up their efforts if they weren’t already acting according to the court’s decision. California’s Big City Mayors, a coalition of mayoral offices across the state led by Democratic San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, issued a statement saying the governor’s “renewed direction and sense of urgency to address homelessness with tangible and meaningful action” is welcomed. The statement also called for unity in action.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the city began clearing streets promptly after the ruling. She expected new policies to be proposed under the Grants Pass ruling. San Diego County officials are in the midst of drafting a camping ban, as Axios reported.
Meanwhile Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass didn’t support Newsom’s order, saying she prefers a more comprehensive approach that prioritizes providing housing rather than criminalization.
“Strategies that just move people along from one neighborhood to the next or give citations instead of housing do not work,” Bass said, according to Politico. “We thank the governor for his partnership thus far and hope that he will continue collaboration on strategies that work.”