In a recent move, California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order aimed at the removal of homeless encampments throughout the state.
This decision follows a Supreme Court ruling in June that legally permits cities to displace homeless individuals camping on public property.
As reported by The Post Millennial, the executive order instructs state agencies and departments to implement policies that align with the California Department of Transportations (Caltrans) existing encampment policy. This is aimed at addressing the issue of encampments on state properties.
The order also urges local governments to adopt policies that will facilitate the clearance of homeless encampments. However, as noted by the Associated Press, while Newsom lacks the authority to command local authorities to act, he can exert influence by withholding state funds.
The executive order reveals that an estimated 180,000 individuals experienced homelessness in California on any given night in 2023, including 123,000 who were unsheltered. It also highlights that under Newsoms administration, the state has invested over $24 billion to tackle the homelessness crisis.
The order states, "While every jurisdiction must do more to address encampments, state and local agencies taking proactive steps to remove encampments have been stymied in those efforts by lawsuits and injunctions, leaving officials without the tools or guidance necessary to address the crisis on their street."
The policies that state agencies are expected to adopt include "site assessment in advance of removal operations to determine whether an encampment poses an imminent threat to life, health, safety or infrastructure such that exigent circumstances require immediate removal of the encampment," "as much advance notice to vacate as reasonable under the circumstances," "Contacting of service providers to request outreach services for persons experiencing homelessness at the encampment," and "Collection, labeling, and storage for at least 60 days of personal property collected at the removal site that is not a health or safety hazard."
The order further encourages local governments to adopt policies consistent with this Order and to utilize all available resources and infrastructure, including resources provided by the States historic investments in housing and intervention programs where appropriate and available, to take action with the urgency this crisis demands to humanely remove encampments from public spaces, prioritizing those encampments that most threaten the life, health, and safety of those in and around them."
In a statement following the signing, Newsom said, "This executive order directs state agencies to move urgently to address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them and provides guidance for cities and counties to do the same. The state has been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets. There are simply no more excuses. Its time for everyone to do their part."
This move by Governor Newsom underscores the urgency of the homelessness crisis in California and the need for both state and local governments to take decisive action. The executive order serves as a call to action, urging all jurisdictions to do their part in addressing this pressing issue.
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