Reactions to Governor Gavin Newsom’s July 25th orders to clear homeless camps covered a range from defiance in Los Angeles to promises of fines and jail time for homeless campers in Fresno. What did not happen was a sudden appearance of housing, shelters, or services for the over 180,000 California residents with no place to go.
What also did not happen was Los Angeles County officials joining Governor Newsom’s duplicitous games about the availability of housing and services.
“What’s the point of a cleanup if you don’t match it with housing and services?” said Lindsay Horvath, Chair of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
Horvath was speaking in response to Newsom’s appearance on August 7 at encampments on state-owned property within L.A. County boundaries. Unlike the governor, city and county officials in Los Angeles have been forthright about the shortage of shelter and services for homeless people.
Moreover, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has overseen the first double-digit drop in homeless numbers in over ten years by emphasizing housing and services over sweeps. The key to her success has been honesty in admitting that there’s no point in clearing camps until people have somewhere to go.
Governor Newsom’s threats to withhold funding for homelessness unless cities and counties show progress in reducing homelessness might be more credible if he himself had achieved any success after spending billions of dollars during a crisis marked by a steady rise homeless numbers.
If Gavin Newsom really wants to reduce homelessness in California, he should begin with a clear assessment of the factors driving homeless numbers upward, most especially the statewide lack of housing and shelter. Many cities and counties have been sweeping homeless camps for years, even after Martin vs Boise ruled that such tactics represent “cruel and unusual punishment.” That’s been the case in Modesto and Stanislaus County and it’s been the case with Newsom’s sweeps as well. Many local officials therefore don’t foresee much of a change after Newsom’s orders to clear camps. They also don’t have a plan for anything other than clearing camps. Neither does the Governor.
If Gavin Newsom were serious about reducing homelessness, the first thing he would demand from cities and counties would be management plans that include basic shelter in the form of bridge housing. Since there is currently insufficient shelter and traditional housing is years away, those plans would have to feature expeditious alternatives. There are many options, including canvas covers, Pallet Shelters, Boss Cubez and more.
Newsom should also support and fast track Senate Bill 1395 or something even more urgent. SB 1395 would expedite placement of emergency shelters on public lands by suspending some of the current building requirements that have impeded efforts to provide much needed affordable housing throughout the state.
Inexpensive, portable, and quickly assembled shelter and housing options are available now. Instead of spending billions to move homeless people from one open space to another, California now has multiple options to place homeless people in stable communities that would include the elderly, ill and disabled who make up a large segment of the state’s growing homeless population.
Proactive cities and counties will call the Governor’s bluff on encampments with detailed plans for siting and managing these new communities which could well become a long term response to California’s new realities of crowded shelters, housing shortages, and fractured systems of care. They should also ask for funding for hotel and motel conversions into single room studios where feasible.
There won’t be progress on homelessness until public officials recognize they are facing a human emergency of vast proportion. SB 1395 offers cost effective, humane and timely solutions to California’s housing crisis. Now, local authorities need to demand Governor Newsom follow through with the funding he’s promised for those regions that have feasible management plans for homelessness. At present, neither the Governor nor most cities and counties have anything more than sweeps and jail time, both of which have already proven futile.
Bluff ?Sir encampment clean up is not a bluff by Newsom or anyone else ! Encampment clean up is a Supreme Court order !
The bluff isn’t the clean up of encampments. The bluff is the threat that money will be withheld for cities who don’t enforce the clean up. As said in article, there’s nowhere for them to live. First step is find them a place to live humanely.
No, the Supreme Court didn’t order anything regarding cleanups!!
Not sure why Newsom focused on Encampments, seems very misdirected to me.
I can see him getting tough with local jurisdictions, however, BUT only after they have demonstrated they don’t have the resources to comply, which would be fairly straightforward in most cases, given the lack of housing and services. And now that his POTUS opportunity passed him by and he can’t run again for Gov, not sure what his motives are? Senate perhaps?
I think he must be really shameful that the state has spent 20+ billion on the homeless problem and it’s gotten worst, not because the money hasn’t been used wisely but the number of folks becoming homeless hasn’t abated and won’t until they all go to Texas and/or people are employed and make a livable wage. And of course the lower end of affordable housing stock must increase dramatically.
When he looks deep enough he’d also find a state that has a housing industry wrapped in complexity only to be outdone by the quest for fusion energy and a services sector beholden to more rules than the IRS and a severe shortage of professional staff.
So what the hell, lets bluster and bully them, who’s going to push back, when we keep em moving!!
To spend 20 billion for changing the homeless situation and having nothing, no resources for the homeless is unforgiveable. How does Newsom think that jails are the solutions for these counties? He has mismanaged the money allocated for these resources and has no other plan but to criminalize homelessness? This is not a solution!! At the same time he wants to overturn prop 36 as well. We spent a lot of time trying to get the prison and jail overcrowding problem solved. In Tulare County they built a new court house and a new jail. We don’t have enough judges to fill the benches in all the court rooms. Way too much was spent on this building and the tax payers are paying for these facilities! I would rather have spent my taxpayer money on helping those less fortunate and cleaning up my city with resources available to do just that, without calling every homeless person worthless. The high cost of rent is a major problem for rural communities and towns in this county!! Landlords have seen that they have no cap on raising the rent. My rent was increased $150.00!! My son now lives with his sister and I have no home of my own!!! Governor Newsom doesn’t have a clue what people are going thru and I believe he doesn’t care either!!!
This is not a true statement: “To spend 20 billion for changing the homeless situation and having nothing, no resources for the homeless is unforgiveable.” And “He” does not manage the money but he is the CEO over the agencies that do; however, the legislature has a hand in “management” as does local government. This is not yet an authoritarian govt. Courthouses are state projects, not counties. As far as a shortage of judges goes, I don’t know why, do you? Yes, rent and housing are real issues but there are rent controls but I find that many renters are taken advantage of because they aren’t aware of the rules…I have no idea what Newsom knows and feels but I do know he’s just one player in the complex issue of rabid capitalism.
good article, and also the comments. maybe it is time to stop electing the politiciians who spend our tax dollars with no problems solved. The State of California as well as the counties and cities have spent billions and billions and this problem has only become worse- where did all the money go- (hint- into the pockets of the politicians and their friends. Vote them out.
For those more interested in data than heresay, check this out: https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2023-102-1/
Frank, you provided a wealth of knowledge, even without the vital missing data. Those responsible, straight up, took advantage of tax payers and the unhoused for years to come.
Let me ask the readers what they think must be done now that we know more about the intentional, willful omissions of statistics and which groups held back? We know behind every missing data point, is likely missing dollars.
Did the Supreme Court know of these complicit actors and omissions of necessary actions, when they made their decision to take the lack of successful outcomes out on the unhoused?
How many other states are getting away with the identical fudging of funds at our homeless populaces’ expense? Should we assume other groups conducted themselves in strict compliance, and only CA did this?
Frank are you willing to search more out? This could be the fraud of the decade. I would be forever grateful, as I am sure others would want to know. No small wonder the unhoused could not get a lift up in CA, possibly elsewhere, for similar reason.
Now they go to jail? Isn’t that a kick in the gut of every unhoused person. And, taxpayers pay for the costs.
Tx Lou. Too many other priorities now to further investigate a spending black hole on homelessness. The challenge is tempting however….Doing it locally is easier but still lots of work….