Gov. Newsom calls on California cities to ban homeless encampments
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's latest move aims to address homeless encampments throughout the state. Photo: Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging California cities to adopt an ordinance banning homeless encampments outright as the state continues to crack down on "unhealthy and dangerous" structures.
Why it matters: Though the move is unlikely to change much for Bay Area cities and counties — many which have already taken aggressive steps to counter encampments — it highlights the state's increasing oversight on an issue that remains in the national spotlight.
Driving the news: The model ordinance proposed by the governor's office includes key provisions, such as a prohibiting persistent camping in one location and encampments that block passage on sidewalks.
- It also requires local officials to provide notice and "make every reasonable effort to identify and offer shelter" prior to clearing an encampment.
The intrigue: The ordinance emphasizes that nobody "should face criminal punishment for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go."
- The proposal is drawn from the state's approach, which Newsom's office says has cleared over 16,000 encampments and over 311,000 cubic yards of waste and debris from sites along the state right of way since July 2021.
What they're saying: "There's nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets," Newsom said in a news release.
- "Now, we're giving [cities] a model they can put to work immediately, with urgency and with humanity, to resolve encampments and connect people to shelter, housing, and care."
Between the lines: Many encampments cleared by cities have relocated to property under the jurisdiction of Caltrans, the state's highway agency, Axios San Diego's Andrew Keatts notes.
- Frustration with the state's inability to clear those camps led San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria to co-sponsor a bill, SB 569, with state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) to push the state to clear encampments on their property.
- Newsom's announcement does not appear to compel cities to adopt the ordinance, but he has in the past threatened to withhold funding from local governments that fail to adequately address encampments.
Reality check: While San Francisco does not have an ordinance banning encampments, the city ramped up sweeps after a Supreme Court ruling last year gave municipalities leeway to take stricter measures.
- The city's approach already largely aligns with the provisions outlined in Newsom's model ordinance, including proper storage of possessions and the specific offer of shelter prior to clearing encampments.
Yes, but: The governor's suggestion requires at least 48 hours of notice compared to San Francisco's 2016 voter proposition, which mandates a 24 hour heads up.
What we're watching: Law enforcement has escalated arrests of people who refuse to leave after declining shelter offers, even as a shortage in beds persists.
- San Francisco is also in the midst of a legal challenge from local civil rights advocates who accuse city workers of violating unhoused people's rights by seizing and destroying their property when conducting sweeps.
The big picture: In March, San Francisco recorded its lowest tent tally (222) since officials began publicly tracking them in April 2019, per a San Francisco Chronicle analysis.
- Supervisor Jackie Fielder recently demanded that the city do more to tackle family homelessness after officials moved to limit shelter waitlist eligibility.