Back in July, California governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to remove homeless encampments across the state. The order followed a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping in public spaces, but was met with swift opposition by institutions like the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which stated that homelessness should not be criminalized.
Despite the state's significant investment—over $20 billion in housing and homelessness programs since the 2018-19 fiscal year— there are still over 170,000 homeless people living in the state, something that has led 12 California cities or counties to enact bans, citing the Supreme Court's decision as the basis for the new ordinances. Another nine are considering or have given preliminary approval to such measures, as reported by Reuters.
