Governor Newsom orders removal of California homeless encampments

By Liya Cui

(Reuters) - California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday said the state would begin removing homeless encampments after a recent Supreme Court decision upheld anti-camping laws used to ticket and fine people living on the streets.

"It's time to move with urgency at the local level to clean up these sites, to focus on public health and focus on public safety. There are no longer any excuses," Newsom said in a video posted on X announcing the new order.

California had 180,000 homeless people in 2023, more than any other state, and the majority slept outdoors, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Newsom's action followed a Supreme Court decision on June 28 reversing a ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that found punishing people for sleeping outdoors when no shelter beds are available was unconstitutional.

Some agencies and local governments refrained from removing the encampments because of the Ninth Circuit ruling while others faced lawsuits after they dismantled camps.

The governor told state agencies to prioritize removing camps that pose health and safety risks, provide at least 48 hours notice to the people affected, request social services for them and store their belongings for at least 60 days.

California's transportation department has removed over 11,000 camps since July 2021 using similar policies.

Divya Shiv of Housing California, which sees affordable housing as the solution, objected to Newsom's move, noting a Rand study showed such cleanups in Los Angeles did not reduce the homeless population long term.

"After a month or two people would come back, and that's because the question is, where do they go if there isn't enough affordable and supportive housing?" Shiv said.

Newsom's administration said it moved 165,000 homeless people into temporary or permanent housing in fiscal year 2022-2023.

(Reporting by Liya Cui; editing by Donna Bryson and Cynthia Osterman)