California homelessness

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging cities to adopt his new ordinance to ban homeless encampments and create more shelters and temporary housing. — Image credit: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images

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Summary

Homeless crisis

California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to ban homeless encampments to address the state’s homelessness crisis.

Impact

California is reportedly home to more than 187,000 unhoused people, roughly a quarter of all homeless people in the United States.

The plan

The new measure gives cities a blueprint to follow to tackle homelessness but allows them to modify the plan as needed.

Full story

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing for cities in his state to ban homeless encampments, which have become a common sight in parks, sidewalks and other public spaces across the Golden State. Newsom announced Monday that he has drafted a template for local governments to adopt ordinances to shut down existing encampments and ban new ones.

At the same time, Newsom – a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028 – says he’s also allocating $3.3 billion in voter-approved funding to expand treatment and housing for the homeless.

What is Newsom saying?

“The time for inaction is over,” Newsom said in a statement. “There are no more excuses.”

When Newsom first ran for governor in 2018, solving the homelessness crisis in California was his signature campaign issue. Since then, fellow Democratic leaders have worked to tackle the problem by trying to remove homeless encampments.

Still, the Golden State is reportedly home to a quarter of America’s homeless population. More than 187,000 Californians lack housing, many of them living in tents and makeshift shelters throughout the state, but especially in major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. Unhoused individuals are considered California’s most significant public health and safety issue, nearly six years after Newsom first took office.

The Supreme Court

Newsom’s new proposal follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling last June that allowed local governments to ban homeless people from setting up encampments even if shelter space is not available.

Advocates for the homeless argue that the ruling essentially criminalized homelessness. They say it enabled policies that are cruel and unusual because most people without homes have no choice but to sleep on the streets.

Supporters say the ruling gave governments the ability to remove unsafe encampments and tents that often block the elderly and those with disabilities from navigating sidewalks.

Newsom’s blueprint

In his model ordinance released on Monday, Newsom includes bans on “persistent camping” in any area. It also outlaws encampments that block sidewalks and requires city officials to make every effort possible to find and provide shelter before clearing an encampment.

Newsom cannot force cities to adopt the model ordinance. However, he says those who don’t will have no access to new state funding for homelessness initiatives.

Cities respond

Large cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles have already promised to begin removing encampments, and both cities have increased the number of shelter beds.

But addressing the problem has become especially difficult in Los Angeles, the home of more than 45,000 homeless people. The city is facing a nearly $1 billion budget deficit amid massive efforts to rebuild after catastrophic wildfires in January.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is taking a harder line approach. He has suggested arresting people who refuse shelter three times in 18 months.

What are critics saying?

Those opposed to the ban argue that there is little proof that policies punishing homelessness actually reduce it. And they say encampment bans simply make it more difficult for people to find permanent housing and work.

Homeless advocates say people often lose important papers or lose contact with a case manager when they are forced to pick up and leave an encampment, requiring them to start their search for help from scratch.

Voter-approved solutions?

Last year, California voters approved stricter mandates to spend money on efforts to provide housing and drug treatment programs for homeless people. Newsom backed the ballot initiative.

Counties must now spend roughly two-thirds of the proceeds from a 2004 tax imposed on millionaires to provide mental health and substance abuse programs and housing to help solve the state’s homelessness crisis.

Newsom’s signature issue

Newsom has supported legislation to make it easier to force people with mental health issues to enter treatment.

He also has threatened to halt state funding to cities and counties that refuse to address homelessness.

No clear results

A 2024 state audit found that California had spent $24 billion over five years to combat homelessness. However, auditors said little data exists to analyze the impact of the funding.

Alan Judd (Content Editor) and Jake Larsen (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: Affordable housing, California, Drugs, Gavin Newsom, Homelessness, Housing Market, Los Angeles, Mental health, San Francisco

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM WANTS CITIES IN HIS STATE TO BAN HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS– SCATTERED THROUGHOUT PARKS, ON SIDEWALKS AND OTHER PUBLIC SPACES.

NEWSOM ANNOUNCING MONDAY HE’S DRAFTED A TEMPLATE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ADOPT ORDINANCES TO SHUT DOWN EXISTING ENCAMPMENTS AND BAN NEW ONES.

NEWSOM ALSO SAYS HE’S ALLOCATING THREE-POINT-THREE BILLION DOLLARS IN VOTER-APPROVED FUNDS TO EXPAND TREATMENT AND HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS.

NEWSOM MADE SOLVING THE CRISIS HIS SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN ISSUE WHEN HE FIRST RAN FOR GOVERNOR IN 2018. SINCE THEN, FELLOW DEMOCRATS HAVE WORKED TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM BY TRYING TO REMOVE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS.

STILL, CALIFORNIA REPORTEDLY HAS AROUND A QUARTER OF THE U-S’S HOMELESS POPULATION. MORE THAN 187-THOUSAND CALIFORNIANS ARE HOMELESS.

NEWSOM’S PROPOSAL FOLLOWS A LANDMARK RULING BY THE SUPREME COURT LAST JUNE ALLOWING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO BAN HOMELESS PEOPLE FROM SETTING UP ENCAMPMENTS, EVEN IF SHELTER IS NOT AVAILABLE.

ADVOCATES FOR THE HOMELESS ARGUE THE RULING ESSENTIALLY CRIMINALIZES HOMELESSNESS. THEY SAY IT ALLOWED POLICIES THAT ARE CRUEL AND UNUSUAL BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE WITHOUT HOMES HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SLEEP ON THE STREETS.

SUPPORTERS OF THE RULING GAVE GOVERNMENTS THE ABILITY TO REMOVE UNSAFE ENCAMPMENTS AND TENTS THAT OFTEN BLOCK THE ELDERLY AND THOSE WITH DISABILITIES FROM NAVIGATING SIDEWALKS.

IN HIS MODEL ORDINANCE, NEWSOM INCLUDES BANS ON “PERSISTENT CAMPING” IN ANY AREA. IT ALSO OUTLAWS ENCAMPMENTS THAT BLOCK SIDEWALKS AND REQUIRES OFFICIALS TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT POSSIBLE TO FIND AND PROVIDE SHELTER BEFORE CLEARING AN ENCAMPMENT.

NEWSOM CANNOT FORCE CITIES TO ADOPT THE MODEL ORDINANCE. BUT HE SAYS THOSE THAT DON’T WILL HAVE NO ACCESS TO NEW STATE FUNDING FOR HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVES.

THOSE OPPOSED TO THE BAN ARGUE THERE IS LITTLE PROOF POLICIES ESSENTIALLY PUNISHING HOMELESSNESS ACTUALLY WORK AND SAY IT JUST MAKES IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO FIND PERMANENT HOUSING AND WORK. HOMELESS ADVOCATES SAY PEOPLE OFTEN LOSE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS OR CONTACT WITH THEIR CASE WORKER WHEN THEY ARE FORCED TO MOVE FROM AN ENCAMPMENT AND MUST THEN START FROM SCRATCH.

THE RESULTS FOR CALIFORNIA’S EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE HOMELESSNESS CRISIS ARE STILL UNCLEAR. A STATE AUDIT IN 2024 FOUND THE STATE SPENT 24 BILLION DOLLARS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS OVER FIVE YEARS BUT AUDITORS SAY LITTLE DATA EXISTS TO ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF THE FUNDING.

Why this story matters

California Governor Gavin Newsom's push for cities to clear homeless encampments and adopt a statewide model ordinance highlights an evolving policy response to homelessness, with significant debate over its effectiveness, the use of state funding, and the implications for public policy and vulnerable populations.

Homelessness policy

The introduction of a model ordinance to address homeless encampments marks a major shift in California's approach to homelessness, as it encourages local governments to take uniform and immediate action while framing the issue as both a humanitarian and public safety concern.

Funding and accountability

Newsom is coupling the encampment policies with $3.3 billion in new funding and increased accountability requirements, emphasizing that state financial support will be closely linked to local efforts and performance in addressing homelessness.

Public health and civil liberties

The debate around clearing encampments raises critical questions about balancing public health, safety, and the rights of unhoused individuals, with advocates warning that enforcement-focused strategies risk harming vulnerable populations and potentially exacerbating the homelessness crisis.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 62 media outlets

Community reaction

Community reaction is mixed. Some local leaders have supported tougher stances on encampments, citing public safety and accessibility concerns. Advocacy organizations for the unhoused argue the model ordinance could exacerbate harm and displacement, stating that bans do not address root causes. Local officials are under increasing pressure to act but face differing community expectations and resource limitations.

Diverging views

Articles categorized as "left" often highlight concerns from homeless advocates, focusing on claims these policies may harm vulnerable populations and do not address systemic causes. Articles on the "right" typically emphasize enforcement and public safety, supporting the use of public funds as leverage to clear encampments, and stress that earlier liberal approaches failed to contain the crisis.

Policy impact

The model ordinance may prompt local governments to adopt stricter enforcement on encampments, affecting where unhoused people can reside and whether they have access to belongings or support services. Localities could face pressure to comply with the ordinance to secure state funding, potentially accelerating encampment removals.