Sacramento, CA – On Thursday, numerous homeless rights groups criticized Governor Newsom after he issued an executive order directing state agencies to urgently address homeless encampments.
The order follows the Supreme Court’s controversial decision in Grants Pass that cleared the way for local governments to clear homeless encampments.
“This executive order directs state agencies to move urgently to address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them — and provides guidance for cities and counties to do the same,” Governor Newsom said in a statement. “The state has been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets. There are simply no more excuses. It’s time for everyone to do their part.”
Governor Newsom’s executive order directs state agencies and departments to” adopt humane and dignified policies to urgently address encampments on state property, including by taking necessary and deliberate steps to notify and support the people inhabiting the encampment prior to removal.”
However groups like the ACLU of Northern California point out that for decade, the state “failed to build sufficient housing for people across all income levels, leaving thousands of residents–including families and children– no alternative but to sleep in cars, tents, and on the street. “
In a statement on Thursday, the ACLU noted, “Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to displace and dispossess unhoused people, even though the state does not have enough housing, is a cruel tactic that only masks the problem.”
They were critical of the fact that lawmakers “appear more concerned about optics and the visibility of homelessness” than they are with providing services and tackling California’s affordable housing crisis.
“Punishing people for being unhoused won’t address underlying issues driving homelessness and skyrocketing housing costs in California,” the ACLU stated. “In fact, it will make homelessness worse. Without stable and affordable housing, people are more likely to experience job instability, have health issues, and cycle through emergency public services, such as hospitals and shelters.”
The ACLU called on state leaders to “act decisively to expand affordable housing for all income levels, provide rental assistance to keep people in their homes, and implement stronger eviction protection measures.”
Jenny Friedenbach, Executive Director of Coalition on Homelessness San Francisco noted that previous attempts to clear encampments have failed to reduce the numbers of people forced to sleep outside.
It is their belief that “Displacing, destabilizing, and dispossessing people without real offers of permanent housing makes homelessness worse.”
Friedenbach said, “Despite Governor Newsom citing CalTrans as a model for clearing encampments, the agency has had a terrible track record of unlawfully confiscating and destroying people’s belongings.”
Advocates have sued the state over this practice in the past, resulting in a $1.3 million settlement to compensate people whose property had been seized.
Friedenbach added, “Many Californians struggle to pay rent and are worried about losing their homes. To end homelessness, elected officials must expand housing that is affordable to all income levels, provide rent relief to help people remain in their homes, and strengthen eviction protections.”
LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia also condemned the order.
The Controller’s Office previously released a detailed statement denouncing the Grants Pass Ruling and maintains its position that “punishing people for sleeping outside when there is no available shelter is both inhumane and does not result in meaningful reductions in homelessness or encampments.
The office explained, “It has been shown time and time again that clearing homeless encampments does not help reduce homelessness or encampment numbers over time, but only increases the number of unsheltered unhoused people.”
The controllers officer cited a RAND study released earlier in July, that showed that in areas with frequent encampment clearings, “encampments returned within months” and in some places, “people living literally unsheltered (without a tent or vehicle) jumped from 20% to 46%.”
The Controller’s office added, “Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) found that LA Municipal Code 41.18, which allows for encampment removal in certain areas, isn’t effective at reducing encampments or helping to house people – while costing over $3 million in two years, not including enforcement costs. “
The Controller’s Office said it “believes that homeless encampment removal historically has equated to criminalization. It is cruel and unusual punishment for people without homes with nowhere to realistically go.”
Jessica Nowlan, President of ReImagine Freedom, called the order, “cruel and shortsighted attempt to sweep the issue of homelessness under the rug. It not only fails to solve the problem, but it also makes it worse. By removing people from their homes without providing them with anywhere else to go, we are simply criminalizing poverty and creating more instability.”
Nowlan argued that punishing homeless people doesn’t work and is morally wrong and “financially irresponsible.”
She said, “It costs cities far more to arrest, jail, and prosecute homeless people than it would cost to provide them with affordable housing and support services.”
She called for “Innovative solutions like Beloved Village, which provides support and resources to young women and trans youth and their families to find safe and dignified housing, have been proven to be effective in reducing homelessness.”
She added, “We urge city officials to invest in these solutions as a matter of urgency, rather than resorting to harmful and ineffective measures like this order.”
I just wanted to be the first to post a comment on the new website to see how the moderation is going to work and if it still goes to a queue.
The website looks nice but still too many ads.
There’s still some pieces to be rolled out and my hope is to get the out of the inside of articles.