SACRAMENTO – California Governor Gavin Newsom had a message for local governments Thursday: Clean up homeless camps now or lose federal grants next yr.
Speaking outside a cleared homeless encampment in Los Angeles, Newsom vowed that he would cut state funding to cities and counties that don't do enough to maneuver people from their encampments into homeless shelters. The governor joined the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) on Thursday in clearing several encampments in the realm.
“I want to see results,” Newsom told reporters at a press conference. “I don't want to read about it. I don't want to see the data. I want to see it.”
Thursday's announcement was a part of Newsom's escalating campaign to pressure local governments to do more homeless encampment clearances. Newsom had ordered state agencies last month to start clearing encampments on state lands. He also put pressure on local governments to do the identical, although he cannot legally force them to achieve this.
The order got here after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that said governments cannot force people to depart their encampments if no shelter is accessible. Newsom's administration backed up the cities' arguments with a letter saying that previous rulings, including one which barred San Francisco from clearing encampments, had prevented the state from addressing a critical problem.
About a 3rd of the country's homeless live in California, an issue that has dogged Newsom since he took office. Across the state, 1000’s of tents and makeshift shelters line highways and fill parking lots and public parks.
The state has spent about $24 billion under Newsom's leadership to scrub up streets and house people. That includes at the very least $3.2 billion in grants to local governments to construct shelters, clear encampments and supply services to the homeless as they see fit, Newsom said.
These are unprecedented investments by the state, he added, but his government will begin redirecting these funds in January.
“This is not about criminalization,” Newsom said. “What is criminal is neglecting people who are fighting, suffering and dying on our watch.”
The mayor of San Francisco has taken a more aggressive approach to clearing the camps.
Others, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA County officials, have pushed back, saying the governor's approach won't work. Newsom on Thursday praised Bass' work in successfully reducing the number of individuals sleeping rough in Los Angeles, but added that his frustration is generally directed on the counties.
The California State Association of Counties, which represents 58 counties in California, said it could not comment on the governor's announcement Thursday. A spokesperson as an alternative referred to a press release in response to Newsom's order last month that counties “will continue to work with the governor and share his sense of urgency.”
image credit : www.mercurynews.com