OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:08 PM – Friday, August 9, 2024
On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom orchestrated photo opportunities while helping Caltrans workers clear out a large homeless encampment in Los Angeles.
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The governor expressed his desire to dismantle homeless encampments across the state, even though he has already spend billions providing “free” housing to the state’s homeless, which was funded by California taxpayers.
Newsom (D-Calif.) has now adopted a more aggressive approach towards homeless reduction efforts as California contenders seeking the governor role began announcing their intentions to run.
Since 2019, California has spent around $24 billion on the state’s homelessness issue, however, a recent audit revealed that the state was not even keeping track of the effectiveness of the investment.
Within a five year period of $24 billion dollars being thrown at the issue, homelessness has only increased in California by around 30,000, rising to a homeless population of 181,000 in the state under Newsom’s leadership.
It appears that the governor did not consider that the announced plans of his residential developments for the unhoused would attract an even larger influx of homeless individuals moving to California in order to take advantage of the opportunity.
“This report concludes that the state must do more to assess the cost-effectiveness of its homeless programs,” State Auditor Grant Parks wrote.
Newsom first issued an executive order back in July that encouraged state officials to begin dismantling homeless encampments throughout California.
“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,” Newsom said after issuing the statewide order. “There are simply no more excuses. It’s time for everyone to do their part.”
The executive order follows a recent supreme court ruling which allows cities to ticket homeless people sleeping outside. The ruling also decided that “anti-camping” ordinances did not violate any Constitutional laws.
“So before the Supreme Court ruling cities were in the position where they would have to provide shelter offers before removing encampments. Now … they will be able to carry out these encampment sweeps with the very real threat of issuing people incredibly expensive fines of which people cannot pay and often results in a warrant or an arrest or can result in incarceration,” said Chris Herring, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of California Los Angeles.
Following Newsom’s encampment cleaning photo opportunity on Thursday, the California Governor made time for a press conference as well. However, he seemed to shift blame towards other state officials rather than himself.
“No more excuses. You’ve got the money, you got the flexibility, you got the green light, you got support from the state, and the public is demanding it of you,” Newsom said. “I’m here on behalf of 40 million Californians that are fed up. I’m here because I’m one of them. I want to see results.”
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized Newsom’s executive order, as she is concerned with the ticketing and arresting approach.
“My position has and continues to be that I do not believe the criminalization of homelessness is the right path,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger stated. “I find it almost ludicrous to think that we’re going to issue $250 tickets to individuals who are unhoused who are then going to get another ticket and another ticket and then have a warrant out for their arrest… and for what?”
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