California Governor Pushes Local Crackdown on Homeless Camps \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday called on cities and counties to begin clearing homeless encampments and released $3.3 billion to fund housing and treatment, escalating his push to address a crisis that has plagued his administration and communities statewide.
Quick Looks
- Newsom urges cities to clear homeless encampments immediately.
- Introduces model law for local adoption or revision.
- Releases $3.3 billion in voter-approved housing and treatment funds.
- California houses over 25% of the U.S. homeless population.
- Major cities like LA and SF already removing encampments.
- Critics say camping bans worsen homelessness and displace people.
- 2024 audit shows $24B spent with unclear impact.
- Counties now mandated to spend more on housing, treatment.
Deep Look
Facing growing public frustration and political pressure, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday renewed his call for aggressive action to combat homelessness, urging cities and counties across the state to clear encampments and use a new wave of $3.3 billion in state funds to build housing and expand treatment services.
At the heart of his announcement is a “model ordinance” drafted by his administration—legislation that local governments can either adopt directly or revise—to bring consistency and urgency to encampment enforcement statewide. The ordinance bans persistent camping, encampments that block sidewalks, and requires that authorities offer shelter before removing anyone.
“The time for inaction is over. There are no more excuses,” Newsom declared Monday, signaling what may be his most forceful message yet on homelessness since taking office in 2019.
A Mounting Crisis in California
Homelessness has become one of the most visible and politically charged crises in California, with over 187,000 unhoused residents—more than a quarter of the nation’s total. Tents and makeshift shelters have become common in parks, underpasses, sidewalks, and near businesses, creating public health, safety, and economic concerns in communities across the state.
Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor, has long made homelessness a key focus of his administration. But despite billions in state spending and the creation of over 30 new programs targeting the crisis, a recent state audit revealed that California lacks clear data on whether its efforts have made meaningful progress.
From 2018 to 2023, the state spent $24 billion on homelessness and housing efforts, yet most cities saw no significant improvement, the audit found. The lack of consistent metrics and tracking has further fueled public skepticism about the state’s strategy.
What the Model Ordinance Includes
The model law unveiled Monday aims to standardize enforcement while ensuring due process for people experiencing homelessness. Key provisions include:
- A ban on persistent camping in a single location.
- Prohibition of encampments that block access to sidewalks, schools, or public facilities.
- A mandate for advance notice and a reasonable offer of shelter before clearing camps.
The law is meant to help cities avoid legal pitfalls while still complying with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling, which made it easier for local governments to restrict public camping under certain conditions. That decision, though supported by Newsom and many Democrats, was denounced by homelessness advocates as inhumane.
“This isn’t about criminalizing homelessness,” Newsom said in a previous statement. “It’s about reclaiming public space and moving people into housing and treatment with dignity.”
Mixed Responses From Major Cities
Several large cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, have already begun implementing encampment cleanups under local rules. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, elected earlier this year, vowed to clear sidewalks and parks, while San José Mayor Matt Mahan has proposed arresting individuals who refuse shelter after multiple offers.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass has made clearing encampments a key issue, although tents, RVs, and makeshift shelters remain common across the city. A 2023 count found more than 45,000 unhoused people in Los Angeles alone.
However, the city now faces a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall, limiting its ability to rapidly expand services. The January Pacific Palisades wildfire, which destroyed hundreds of homes, has only added pressure to the city’s housing crisis and budget.
Funding and Legal Mandates for Counties
The governor’s push comes on the heels of a voter-approved 2024 ballot measure that now requires counties to allocate two-thirds of existing millionaire’s tax revenues (originally for mental health) toward housing and treatment programs for people experiencing homelessness.
That measure, strongly supported by Newsom, is part of a broader effort to restructure California’s behavioral health system, giving officials more legal tools to mandate treatment for people with serious mental illness or addiction—including involuntary care in some cases.
Criticism From Advocates and Local Governments
Homelessness advocates say that punitive approaches, like camping bans or arrests, can do more harm than good. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, clearing encampments without permanent housing options often leads to displacement, loss of documents, and disconnection from social services.
“There’s no evidence that these sweeps solve homelessness,” one advocate told NewsLooks. “They often make it harder for people to get back on their feet.”
Meanwhile, the California State Association of Counties, which represents all 58 counties, issued a statement Monday saying the state has overstated how much support it has actually provided. Half of the homelessness funds, they claim, have gone to private developers, not direct services.
Data Gap and Accountability Issues
The 2024 state audit remains a major backdrop to this renewed push. It concluded that despite the eye-popping $24 billion spent between 2018 and 2023, California lacked a centralized system to evaluate program outcomes—leaving the state unable to determine which strategies worked and which failed.
Critics argue that this accountability gap has hampered public trust and policy effectiveness, while giving rise to piecemeal, inconsistent enforcement across hundreds of cities and counties.
The Political Stakes for Newsom
Newsom’s strong push this week is widely seen as an attempt to reassert leadership on homelessness, an issue that has come to define his tenure and could follow him into any potential national campaign. Polls consistently show homelessness among voters’ top concerns in California—and one of the areas where Newsom receives his lowest approval ratings.
The announcement also suggests Newsom is shifting from flexible funding and local autonomy toward a more directive state-led model, pressuring counties and cities not just to act, but to follow a clear legal and enforcement framework provided by the state.
California Governor Pushes California Governor Pushes
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