In a significant clash over California’s homeless crisis, Los Angeles officials are pushing back against Governor Gavin Newsom's executive order to dismantle homeless encampments across the state. This move follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing cities to enforce bans on public camping, even without sufficient shelter beds available.
Governor Newsom's directive mandates state agencies to clear encampments on state properties, including parks, beaches, and areas under highways. The order comes in response to growing public frustration over the increasing number of homeless encampments, particularly in Los Angeles, where approximately 45,252 homeless individuals reside. Los Angeles County as a whole has over 75,000 homeless people, with only about 23,000 emergency shelter beds available.
Gavin Newsome has started cleaning up the streets from homelessness after a Supreme Court ruling and now he wants to solve homelessness. Too bad we couldn’t use the $175 billion dollars we sent to Ukraine for that. If we could go to war with the homeless we would. No problem… pic.twitter.com/QbY1U2X1AX
— TheDaddyTwins (@TheDaddyTwins) July 26, 2024
However, local officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, argue that the order is a temporary fix to a long-standing problem.
Mayor Bass emphasized the need for comprehensive solutions that focus on housing and services rather than just relocating the homeless population. She criticized the Supreme Court ruling, asserting that cities cannot "arrest their way out of this problem" and that simply moving people from one location to another without providing permanent solutions is ineffective.
Whaaaat?
🚨 BREAKING: Gavin Newsom issues executive order for removal of homeless encampments in California
• This only became possible because of Trumps SCOTUS Picks and the recent ruling of City of Grant Pass v. Johnson.
Sooooo… why is Gavin Newsome Doing this now?
—— I… pic.twitter.com/541rRu7wb4— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) July 25, 2024
San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria have also responded to Newsom's order. Mayor Breed announced plans for aggressive sweeps of encampments, leveraging the new legal framework provided by the Supreme Court's decision. Meanwhile, Mayor Gloria, representing the California Big City Mayors coalition, expressed support for the governor’s urgency but did not detail specific actions San Diego would take in response to the order.
The executive order directs state agencies, such as the Department of General Services and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), to remove encampments, following protocols for notice and outreach services.
Since July 2021, Caltrans has cleared over 11,000 encampments, removing significant debris and ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
This state-level intervention highlights the complex and contentious nature of addressing homelessness in California. While the Supreme Court's decision and Newsom’s order provide new tools for enforcement, the debate over long-term strategies continues, with local leaders advocating for more sustainable and humane solutions to the homelessness crisis.
Maybe California can send the Homeless to Mexico they have less people now.