Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday requiring state agencies to remove homeless encampments in their jurisdictions and urging the state's cities to follow suit.
“We must act with urgency to address dangerous encampments, which subject unsheltered individuals living in them to extreme weather, fires, predatory and criminal activity, and widespread substance use, harming their health, safety, and well-being, and which also threaten the safety and viability of nearby businesses and neighborhoods, and undermine the cleanliness and usability of parks, water supplies, and other public resources.”
“The order requires state agencies to adopt policies modeled after a California Department of Transportation policy directive that “prioritizes removal of encampments that pose threats to life, health, and safety, while partnering with local governments and nonprofit providers to facilitate offers of shelter and supportive services in advance of removal.””
I don’t even know where to begin.
Unless they’re setting people up with homes, this sounds like an excuse.
If the shelters were safer and had space, the people in encampments would be using them already.