California Governor Gavin Newsom Takes Action on Homeless Crisis

California Governor Gavin Newsom is threatening to pull funding to cities that do not comply with a recent executive order in an effort to clean up the state’s debilitating homeless problem.

This past Thursday, Gov. Newsom was spotted doing his part, working side-by-side with Caltrans crews to clear an encampment near a freeway in Mission Hills. The order asks officials to “address unsanitary and dangerous encampments within their communities and provide people experiencing homelessness in the encampments with the care and supportive services they need.”

However, some local officials do not believe that this is the proper solution, saying arresting those in encampments is not the right choice if it criminalizes them. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger says, “I find it almost ludicrous to think that we’re going to issue $250 tickets to individuals who are unhoused who are then going to get another ticket and another ticket and then have a warrant out for their arrest…and for what?” But Gov. Newsom says the problem isn’t about criminalizing people, “What’s criminal is neglecting people who are struggling, suffering, and dying on our watch. We need local government to step up. This is a crisis.”

Response on X, formerly Twitter, is mixed, “Los Angeles is hosting the Olympics in 2028. There’s supposed to be a huge, expansive metro project. I think this is a factor with the clean up.”

Others believe this move is more transparent, “Lol he created an environment for the homelessness on a political level. He found out it didn’t poll well and needed a change for election year. He then threatens cities for doing what he and his party wanted originally. That’s @GavinNewsom for yeah, moving whichever way the political winds blow.”

California leads the nation in homelessness, with an estimated 180,000 people on the streets, which accounts for one-third of the nation’s total homeless population. The ongoing issue affects 88 cities in the state. Further, the crisis affects those under the age of 25, putting California in the lead for youth homelessness. Of the 10 10,000 homeless youth, 7,000 of them were found on the streets, hitting hard in San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland.

On July 25, a Supreme Court decision gave local California governments the authority to remove homeless encampments and even ticket people for going camping in public. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), many resources are available for those in need, such as help finding affordable places to live, rental assistance, and those at risk of becoming homeless.

Voters in California may be showing signs of burn-out regarding the crisis. Newsom’s brainchild, Proposition 1, is a way to increase housing investments and focus on substance abuse programs. Attacking the homeless issue at its root, Prop 1 promises over $6 billion dollars allocated for housing units, such as Project Homekey, a program that began in 2020 by renovating boarded-up hotels and unused properties into viable housing. However, the measure just barely passed with voters, bringing in 50.18 percent of the majority vote in the March primary election.

Political Analyst Brian Sobel says voters are weary of yet another expensive ballot measure, and that may have played a big part in their decision to vote.

“People are waking up to the fact that we’re just incurring more and more debt and we don’t see a discernible difference in the quality of life,” Sobel said. “Because money’s not solving the problem in the eyes of Californians, they’re getting more and more reluctant to pass propositions.”

California has a history of big spending to combat homelessness. Just since Newsom took office in 2018, the state has devoted over $40 billion to affordable housing. Supply and demand have taken a toll on the state, leaving many on the streets as housing prices rise, yet supply remains the same. In addition, with 30-year fixed mortgage rates coming in at nearly 7.4%, many struggle to find the funds to purchase and remain in their homes. Local governments are now urged to prioritize the clean-up process.