Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to ban homeless encampments across California, echoing San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s goal to end the era of tents and camps lining city streets, parks and waterways.
In Newsom’s proposal announced Monday, he laid out a blueprint for cities to make it illegal to camp on public property for more than three consecutive nights, to prohibit sitting, sleeping or lying on sidewalks and streets that would hinder passage and to make it unlawful to build makeshift sheds on public property. While the governor can’t make cities adopt the proposals, the announcement was paired with the release of $3.3 billion of Proposition 1 funding, approved by voters in 2024 for treatment and housing for those with mental health issues. The state has also poured more than $850 million into helping cities address encampments.
“It is time to take back the streets,” Newsom said at a news conference. “It’s time to take these encampments (down) and provide alternatives.”…