STORY: California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that the state would begin removing homeless encampments.
That’s after a Supreme Court ruling in late June that upheld anti-camping laws used to fine and fine people living on the streets.
California has 180,000 homeless people in 2023, more than any other state, and most sleep outdoors, according to U.S. housing officials.
Newsom announced the camp removal order in a video posted on X.
“It’s time to act urgently at the local level to clean up these sites, focus on public health and public safety. There are no more excuses.”
The Supreme Court ruling reversed a ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that found it unconstitutional to punish people for sleeping outdoors when no beds were available.
Some agencies and local governments have refrained from removing encampments because of the Ninth Circuit ruling, while others have faced lawsuits after clearing encampments.
Newsom told state agencies to prioritize removing encampments that pose health and safety risks, give affected people at least 48 hours’ notice, request social services for them and store their belongings for at least 60 days.
The California Department of Transportation has removed more than 11,000 encampments since July 2021 using similar policies.
Critics of Newsom’s move cite a Rand study that shows such cleanups in Los Angeles have not reduced the homeless population in the long term.
They say more affordable and supportive housing is needed to effectively address the problem.
