Gov. Newsom Promises to Take Funding Away from Cities and Counties for Failure to Clean Up Camps

LOS ANGELES – California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday had a message for local officials: clean up homeless encampments now or lose state funding next year.

Standing in front of a cleared homeless encampment in Los Angeles, Newsom vowed to start taking state funding away from cities and counties that aren’t doing enough to move people from encampments to shelters. The governor joined the California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans, on Thursday to clear several encampments in the area.

“I want to see the results,” Newsom told reporters at a news conference. “I don’t want to read about them. I don’t want to see the data. I want to see them.”

Thursday’s announcement was part of Newsome’s escalating campaign to get local governments to do more to clear homeless camps. Newsom last month ordered state agencies to begin clearing encampments on public land. He has also pressed local governments to do the same, though he cannot legally force them to act.

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The executive order comes after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that said governments can’t force people to leave encampments if there are no shelter beds available. Newsome’s administration wrote in support of the cities’ arguments that previous rulings, including one barring San Francisco from clearing encampments, have prevented the state from addressing a critical problem.

California is home to about a third of the nation’s homeless population, a problem that has dogged Newsome since he took office. There are thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state, lining highways and filling parking lots and public parks.

The state has spent about $24 billion under Newsome’s leadership to clean up the streets and house people. That includes at least $3.2 billion in grants given to local governments to build shelters, clear encampments and connect homeless people with services they deem appropriate, Newsom said.

He added that these were unprecedented investments by the state, but that his administration would begin redirecting the money in January.

“This is not a matter of criminalization,” Newsom said. “The crime is neglecting the people who struggle and suffer and die in our precinct.”

It’s not the first time Newsom has promised to cut funding over what he sees as local governments’ lackluster efforts to combat homelessness. In 2022, he threatened to withhold $1 billion in homelessness spending from cities and counties due to lack of progress. Last month, his office clawed back $10 million in grant money sent to San Diego to build tiny homes because the county didn’t act quickly enough.

San Francisco’s mayor has taken more aggressive action to clear encampments.

But others, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. County officials, have pushed back, saying the governor’s approach won’t work. Newsom on Thursday praised Bass’ work in successfully reducing the number of people sleeping outside in Los Angeles, adding that his frustration was mostly directed at counties.

The California State Association of Counties, which represents 58 counties in California, said it would not be affected by the governor’s announcement on Thursday. A spokesperson instead pointed to a statement in response to Newsome’s order last month that counties “will continue to work with the governor and share his sense of urgency.”