Governor Gavin Newsom of California spent last Thursday in Los Angeles dealing hands-on with the homelessness issue, joining Caltrans workers to dismantle a homeless camp. During the event, Newsom voiced his frustration with local governments not taking enough action against homelessness and warned of reallocating state funds away from those counties that fail to tackle the problem effectively.

Captured in photos and videos, Newsom discussed his direct involvement in the removal of 1,400 homeless encampments since the start of the year. He emphasized the vast number of similar sites that remain across the state, underscoring the statewide scope of the crisis.

“The state has provided unprecedented resources for cities, municipalities large and small to address the encampment crisis,” Newsom stated, highlighting the severe impact of homelessness on California’s image. He affirmed his commitment to supporting cities and counties in their efforts but made it clear that funds could be redirected towards areas demonstrating more initiative and urgency in addressing the issue.

Newsom’s visit, which included stops at two homeless encampments, was not announced to local city or county officials beforehand, as reported by the New York Times. This follows his recent executive order demanding state agencies to form concrete strategies for clearing homeless camps that have proliferated throughout his term, referencing a Supreme Court decision that allows for the ticketing of homeless individuals sleeping in public places without available shelter alternatives.

Highlighting the need for action, Newsom called for local governments to make full use of the state-provided funds and flexibility, positioning homelessness as a top priority issue that demands immediate attention. 

Despite California having invested over $1 billion in grants for encampment clean-up and tackling root causes, the homelessness crisis continues to grow, with the state housing roughly a third of the country’s homeless population. According to Newsom’s office, over $24 billion has been spent on cleaning up streets and providing housing, showcasing the administration’s efforts to combat this escalating problem.