California Governor Gavin Newsom, emboldened by the conservative Supreme Court, has taken a harsh stance following the Supreme Court’s 6–3 decision on Grants Pass v. Johnson in June, which effectively criminalized homelessness.
In response, Newsom issued an executive order on Thursday mandating the removal of homeless encampments across California.
Newsom called on local governments to dismantle the encampments, where tens of thousands of unsheltered Californians reside, and urged them to do so “with urgency and dignity.”
“We are done,” said Newsom. “It’s time to move with urgency to clean up these sites.”
California is home to nearly one-third of the country’s homeless population, with 49 percent of the nation’s unsheltered individuals, according to federal data.
Previously, cities and localities were required to offer shelter and ensure available beds before clearing encampments. However, following the Supreme Court ruling, an offer of shelter is no longer necessary before law enforcement and demolition equipment can clear the areas.
A January 2023 point-in-time count, which typically underestimates the homeless population, reported approximately 180,000 homeless individuals in California, with only about 70,000 shelter beds available. This means around 110,000 people had nowhere to go.
Homeless Encampments (Photo: Carlos Barria)
In Thursday’s press release, Newsom instructed agencies to adhere to the “blueprint” set by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) existing encampment policy, which has “resolved more than 11,000 encampments” since 2021.
Newsom claimed that Caltrans would store personal property cleared during the encampment removals for a limited period. However, a recent investigation by Type Investigations revealed that it is nearly impossible for homeless individuals to recover their confiscated belongings.
Additionally, private contractors can potentially earn millions from clearing a single camp.
This executive order has raised concerns among homeless advocates and unhoused individuals, who feared such actions would follow the Supreme Court’s ruling.
It remains unclear if all localities will comply with Newsom’s directive. For example, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed reluctance to further criminalize the homeless in light of the Grants Pass decision.
“This ruling must not be used as an excuse for cities across the country to attempt to arrest their way out of this problem or hide the homelessness crisis in neighboring cities or in jail,” she stated.
Conversely, San Francisco Mayor London Breed supported the ruling, announcing plans for the city to be “very aggressive and assertive in moving encampments.” Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris echoed a similar sentiment, stating ominously, “I’m warming up the bulldozer.”
