SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday to eliminate homeless encampments in his state.
Newsom’s order would direct state agencies how to remove the thousands of tents and makeshift shelters that line highways, clutter mall parking lots and fill city parks. The order says the decision to remove the encampments remains in the hands of local officials.
The directive follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this summer allowing cities to ban sleeping outdoors in public spaces. The case is the most significant on the issue to reach the Supreme Court in decades and comes as cities across the country grapple with the politically complex issue of managing a growing number of homeless people and public frustration over related health and safety concerns.
“We must act urgently to combat dangerous encampments,” Newsom said in a statement.
While Newsom cannot order local officials to act, his administration can exert pressure by withholding money from counties and cities.
Newsom has made homelessness a top issue of his time as California governor. He campaigned on a ballot measure earlier this year that would allow the state to borrow nearly $6.4 billion to build 4,350 housing units.
The move comes as Republicans have stepped up their criticism of California and its homelessness crisis as Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California district attorney, attorney general and senator, launches her presidential campaign. Harris entered the race over the weekend after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection.
