Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered state officials to dismantle thousands of homeless encampments across California.
The move comes on the heels of a recent Supreme Court decision that gave local and state governments more latitude to remove people experiencing homelessness from their streets.
Newsom can’t force cities and counties to dismantle homeless encampments but is advising local authorities the best way to take action.
“There are no longer any excuses,” Newsom said in a video posted on X. “A billon dollars this state has invested to support communities to clean up these encampments.”
How Newsom’s homelessness order may affect California
The governor’s new homelessness directive will order other state agencies, such as Caltrans, California State Parks and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to first target encampments that pose a health and safety risk.
Those agencies will give 48 to 72 hours of advance notice to people in the encampments while working with local homeless organizations to help those experiencing homelessness. Personal property collected at each site will be bagged, tagged, and stored for at least 60 days, according to a proclamation issued Thursday by the governor’s office.