Newsom Will Order California Officials to Remove Homeless Encampments

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Gov. Gavin Newsom will order California officials on Thursday to begin dismantling thousands of homeless encampments, according to officials in his administration, calling on government leaders to act on a recent Supreme Court decision “with urgency and dignity.”

The executive order, which is expected to affect tens of thousands of people, represents the nation’s most sweeping response to a June ruling that gave governments greater authority to remove homeless people from their streets.

Homeless encampments have vexed California, where housing costs are among the nation’s highest, more than any other state. An estimated 180,000 people were homeless last year in California, the most in the nation, and about 123,000 homeless people on any given night were unsheltered, according to the most recent count. Unlike New York City, most jurisdictions in California do not guarantee a right to housing.

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

Governor Newsom will instruct California cities and counties on how best to ramp up enforcement on a signature issue of his administration. He also will mandate that state agencies not simply move campers along, but also work with local governments to house people and provide services into which the state has pumped billions of dollars.

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

Mr. Newsom, who is widely viewed as having presidential aspirations, has channeled about $24 billion into homelessness since he took office in 2019. His administration says it helped move more than 165,000 homeless people into temporary or permanent housing two fiscal years ago, the most recent period for which data is available.

The governor’s directive this week follows a Supreme Court decision on June 28 that upheld an Oregon city’s ban on homeless residents sleeping outdoors. The Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit had found in earlier opinions that it was unconstitutional to punish people for sleeping in public spaces when they had no other legal place to spend the night.

Finding shelter may someday be a click away