California Governor Gavin Newsom issued on Thursday an executive order to remove homeless encampments in the state, which holds a third of all the country's people who live under these circumstances.
"Now more excuses. We've provided the time. We've provided the funds. Now it's time for locals to do their job," the governor said on X when responding to an article reporting on the decision. Over 170,000 people are homeless in the state.
No more excuses.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 25, 2024
We’ve provided the time.
We’ve provided the funds.
Now it’s time for locals to do their job. https://t.co/oMQiWggJBa
The order follows a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping in public spaces. Enforcement continues to be on local authorities, but Newsom can put pressure on them through different measures including withholding funds from counties and cities. San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced shortly after the ruling that her administration intended to step up efforts to this end.
The order would have authorities prioritize those encampments that pose safety risks, among them those along waterways. State agencies would need to give people advanced notice to vacate, connect them with local services and help them store their belongings for at least 60 days. Cities and counties were urged to mirror those protocols.
Newsom has said his administration spent about $24 billion on the issue, but acknowledged it has persisted nonetheless, The Associated Press reported. He has also been criticized after an audit determined that the state didn't consistently tracked whether the funds helped to improve the situation.
The audit analyzed five programs that received almost $14 billion combined. It concluded that only two are "likely-cost effective." "This report concludes that the state must do more to assess the cost-effectiveness of its homelessness programs," State Auditor Grant Parks wrote in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers in April this year.
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