California governor orders state officials to clear homeless encampments

Gavin Newsom on Thursday issued an executive order directing state agencies to remove homeless encampments on state property. He also urged cities and counties to do the same, though local entities are not legally bound by his order. Nearly one-third of all individuals experiencing homelessness in the United States reside in California, according to a 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. About 180,000 people experienced homelessness in the state last year, according to the report.

Why is Newsom taking this step now? The order followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last month in Grants Pass v. Johnson that said city camping bans are legal regardless of whether or not shelter is available. The ruling gives municipalities more authority to crack down on homeless encampments. Newsom said cities should pursue the more than $6 billion in behavioral health funding, including $2 billion for housing, created when voters in March passed Proposition 1 to help serve homeless individuals.

What have California mayors said? San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria welcomed the executive order in a statement on behalf of the California Big City Mayors coalition. San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the city would be aggressive in removing encampments and other cities have discussed adopting stricter policies following the Supreme Court ruling.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report in Compassion about what the ruling means for faith-based homeless shelters.