California governor orders removal of homeless camps 'while providing support'

July 25 (UPI) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday issued an executive order directing state agencies to urgently remove homeless encampments while providing support and assistance to people living in them.

The governor said in a statement that the camps should be addressed "while respecting the dignity and safety of Californians experiencing homelessness."

Critics were unmoved by the order, though.

"The order itself 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," said Eric Tars, senior policy director of the National Homelessness Law Center.

Newsom said the executive order directs state agencies to move urgently to address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them.

As he issued the order, Newsom cited the Supreme Court Grants Pass decision that allows legal action against homeless camps.

In a video posted on X, Newsom said, "In the past the courts have denied the ability of local government - including the state -- to clean up many of these encampments."

Newsom's office said in a statement the order "directs state agencies and departments to adopt humane and dignified policies to urgently address encampments on state property, including by taking necessary and deliberate steps to notify and support the people inhabiting the encampment prior to removal."

According to Newsom's order, 180,000 people in California were estimated to experience homelessness on any given night in 2023, including 123,000 living unsheltered, living in tents, trailers and vehicles across the state.

The order said advance notice should be given and site assessments done before removal, service providers should be contacted to request outreach services for homeless people in the camps and belongings of homeless people staying in the camps should be collected, labelled and stored for at least 60 days.

Newsom's action directs state agencies and departments to adopt clear policies to deal with the homeless camps and also urged local governments to use "substantial funding provided by the state" to take similar action.

Newsom's office said California has invested more than $24 billion since the beginning of his administration statewide to deal with homelessness.

"The state has been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets," Newsom said. "There are simply no more excuses. It's time for everyone to do their part."