Following a recent Supreme Court decision that permits cities and states to enforce bans on public sleeping, Newsom has ordered state agencies to clear these encampments, which have increased in urban areas such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.

Supreme Court Ruling and Executive Order

The Supreme Court’s decision on the Grants Pass case has overturned a lower court ruling that previously prevented municipalities from removing encampments. Armed with this new legal backing, Newsom directed state agencies on Thursday to act swiftly in addressing the encampment issue. Authorities are required to provide a two-day notice before taking any action to dismantle the camps.

“This executive order directs state agencies to move urgently to address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them,” Newsom said in a statement. “The state has been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets. There are simply no more excuses. It’s time for everyone to do their part.” While Newsom cannot directly control local government actions regarding homeless encampments, he wields considerable influence through state funding, which can be granted or withheld based on compliance with his directives.

Homelessness Crisis and Advocates’ Concerns

California’s homelessness crisis is exacerbated by a severe housing shortage and some of the highest housing costs in the nation. This issue has become more visible with the rise of homeless encampments and has been a frequent point of criticism by Republicans against the Democrat-led state.

Homeless advocates argue that banning outdoor sleeping criminalizes those who cannot secure housing. In her dissent on the Grants Pass ruling, Justice Sonia Sotomayor deemed the punishment of homeless individuals “unconscionable and unconstitutional.” She stated, “Sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime. For some people, sleeping outside is their only option.”

The Coalition on Homelessness in San Francisco criticized Newsom’s executive order, stating, “Previous attempts to evict people living in encampments have failed to reduce the number of people forced to sleep outside in our state. Displacing, destabilizing, and dispossessing people without real offers of permanent housing makes homelessness worse.”

Financial Commitments and Future Actions

Under Newsom’s leadership, California has invested over $24 billion in homeless and housing reforms, with more than $1 billion specifically allocated to address homeless encampments. Despite these substantial financial commitments, Newsom is now pushing for the physical removal of these camps. “I don’t think there’s anything more urgent and more frustrating than addressing the issue of encampments in the state of California,” Newsom said in a video statement. “It’s time to move with urgency at the local level to clean up these sites.”

While Newsom’s directive aims to tackle the visible crisis of homeless encampments, the effectiveness of this approach remains contentious. Critics argue that without providing permanent housing solutions, simply removing encampments will not resolve the underlying issues of homelessness and may even exacerbate the problem.