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2w ago

California Governor Ties $3.3 Billion in Housing Funds to Local Homeless Encampment Bans

Gavin Newsom unveils a model ordinance for cities to clear encampments, incentivizing adoption with state-controlled funding.

City sanitation workers clear an encampment as workers help bring unhoused people to interim housing, as part of an 'Inside Safe' operation, on September 26, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
FILE - A man walks past a homeless encampment in downtown Los Angeles, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - A tarp covers a portion of a homeless person's tent on a bridge overlooking the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles, Feb. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
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Overview

  • Governor Gavin Newsom released a template ordinance for California cities to ban homeless encampments on public property.
  • The ordinance is linked to $3.3 billion in Proposition 1 housing funds, encouraging local governments to adopt the measure voluntarily.
  • Cities retain discretion over penalties for violations, though the ordinance emphasizes humane clearance practices and shelter options.
  • This initiative follows a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that empowered governments to penalize public camping, reversing prior legal barriers.
  • California, home to nearly half of the nation’s unsheltered homeless population, has seen growing public frustration over visible encampments.