Newsom to Ask Cities to Ban Homeless Encampments, Escalating Crackdown

[demmiblue]

“There are no more excuses,” the California governor said in pushing for municipalities to address one of the most visible byproducts of homelessness.

Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to escalate California’s push to eradicate homeless encampments on Monday, calling on hundreds of cities, towns and counties to effectively ban tent camps on sidewalks, bike paths, parklands and other types of public property.

Mr. Newsom’s administration has raised and spent tens of billions of dollars on programs to bring homeless people into housing and to emphasize treatment. But his move on Monday marks a tougher approach to one of the more visible aspects of the homelessness crisis. The governor has created a template for a local ordinance that municipalities can adopt to outlaw encampments and clear existing ones.

He cannot force cities to pass his model ban, but its issuance coincides with the release of more than $3 billion in state-controlled housing funds that local officials can use to put his template in place. And though it’s not a mandate, the call to outlaw encampments statewide by one of the best-known Democrats in the country suggests a shift in the party’s approach to homelessness.

Once a combative champion of liberal policies and a vocal Trump administration critic, Mr. Newsom has been stress-testing his party’s positions, to the point of elevating the ideas of Trump supporters on his podcast. The liberal approach to encampments has traditionally emphasized government-funded housing and treatment, and frowned on what some call criminalizing homelessness.

https://archive.ph/dL4DO

[bluestarone]

1. I don't live in California, so i cannot answer to that problem, BUT

Could what he's doing affect people that use public property for PROTESTS? Gotta be careful changing rules as we go forward.

[SheltieLover]

2. Good thought! And, has he provided temp housing for all homeless?

What about combat vets & others who cannot be inside?

It seems he is, in effect, telling people that if they are homeless, they can't exist...

[bluestarone]

3. Sad to say, but i kinda agree with you.

Surprises me to see this.

[SheltieLover]

4. I can understand the frustration with the problem, but his appoach seems eerily similar

to others who stick their head in the sand to make problems magically disappear...

Maybe he has provided housing for them but, if so, I'd think people would gladly flock to it.

[pinkstarburst]

9. Where I live (not in California)

there are designated camping areas for the homeless within the city and services like meals and portable showers are at those locations. So that might be an option.

[SheltieLover]

11. So long as they have somewhere to be, but preferably with roofs over their heads

[obamanut2012]

10. I live here. No.

[Passages]

5. California has spent billions on homelessness but lacks hard data on outcomes

by Dan Walters
September 5, 2024

California has allocated more than $20 billion to alleviate the state’s homelessness crisis since Gavin Newsom became governor in 2019, but there’s precious little data on how the money was spent and what effect it’s had, other than the number of unhoused people has continued to climb.

Despite the absence of hard information, Newsom has been highly critical of what he characterizes as the shortcomings of local governments and has threatened to withhold funds from those deemed to be laggards. Local officials, in turn, say they cannot construct comprehensive, long-term strategies unless Newsom is willing to make multi-year commitments of financial support.

Earlier this year, state Auditor Grant Parks issued a harshly worded audit of the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Newsom administration’s tool for coordinating homelessness programs.

snip
It’s rather cheeky for Newsom to blame local officials if his own agency has been so laggard in gathering information about where billions of dollars have been spent and how effective those expenditures have been.
https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/09/california-homelessness-lacks-data/

[ITAL]

6. We've supposedly spent a ton in LA County

And it appears as the problem has gotten worse the last few years with more homeless in more visible locations. I even know several fairly progressive folks that are questioning whether to ever vote for another tax increase to fund the issue here since it seems so mismanaged.

[Passages]

8. It speaks to his abilities..does he apply them appropriately and effectively.

[Fiendish Thingy]

7. Newsom really, REALLY wants to be the next president

But he won’t be.

[maxsolomon]

12. Deep breaths.

The governor has created a template for a local ordinance that municipalities can adopt to outlaw encampments and clear existing ones.

He cannot force cities to pass his model ban...

Nearly 40 percent of the state’s Democrat-dominated electorate said they were so weary of squalid settlements overtaking parks and blocking sidewalks that they supported the arrest of homeless campers if they refused shelter

[spanone]

13. Gov. Newsom, where do you expect them to go?

[maxsolomon]

16. Into the shelter that is offered.

Do you live in a city where street encampments are common? I do. The situation is at a crisis point.

[fujiyamasan]

14. In all fairness to Newsom

He has tried to tackle this problem, but is hardly getting cooperation from several mayors, Bass especially. The problem seems to be getting worse in LA, both within the city and the county. I am not at all impressed with her and the council’s confrontational approach with the governor on this.

[JCMach1]

17. Exactly, you actually have to actively work to get people

Into shelter and programs. Utah, and yes Texas have had decent success with these sorts of models.

CA is just going to apply some best practices that may help the problem.

MAY

[RJ-MacReady]

18. it seems

Some progressives would rather virtue signaling their progressive ideals over actually implementing said ideals.

[Torchlight]

15. Sounds very similar to the line "3.6 roentgen. Not great, not terrible"