Governor Newsom’s most recent executive order has created controversy across California.
One person called it “mayhem and craziness” and said that she is considering leaving the country as a result.
Others Celebrate
Others have celebrated the new order.
Sacramento’s Mayor, Darrell Steinberg, says that the new order is “a step, heading in the right direction.”
Others Disagree
Los Angeles County Supervisor, Kathryn Barger, disagrees.
She says that Newsom’s new order “does nothing to deliver permanent and lasting results. It just shuffles the problem around, and that’s why my constituents want permanent results.”
A Response to the Supreme Court
Governor Newsom’s executive order comes in response to a controversial ruling by the Supreme Court.
At the end of June, the Supreme Court ruled that measures taken in Grants Pass, Oregon, which punish homeless people for sleeping rough when they have nowhere else to go does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment and therefore does not violate the 8th Amendment.
Remove Them
California’s new order requires state agencies to remove homeless camps that are on public property.
Governor Newsom will withhold funding from cities and counties which do not comply with the order. He says that the camps are an urgent safety and public health hazard.
Will it Work?
In a state with one of the four highest homeless populations in the country, it is debatable how effective the measures will be.
California has some of the most expensive housing in the country, and while investments have been made in homeless services, there is still a crucial shortfall in the number of emergency shelter beds available.
No Excuse
The Governor believes that with the funding provided in recent years, there is no excuse for local authorities to allow the camps to continue.
Tara Gallegos, Newsom’s deputy director of communications said “Local governments have been provided ample funding to help address this issue within their communities.”
The Numbers Disagree
The numbers disagree with Gallegos’s claim.
Santa Clara County, home of Silicon Valley, had 10,000 homeless people at the last count. San Diego County had 10,600 and Los Angeles County had 75,300.
Punished for Being Homeless
Members of the homeless community feel they are being punished for being homeless.
Jeni Shurley, from the homeless community in Los Angeles said “I honestly feel like I need to leave the country, because I have so desperately searched the entire country trying to find some kind of a solution, literally gone coast to coast.”
Trust and Cooperation
Los Angeles County Supervisor, Kathryn Barger, said she is trying to build trust with the homeless community even while the camps are dismantled.
A motion has been passed in Los Angeles County that homeless people will not be taken to jail. However, quite where they will go is a question that remains to be answered.
