California ramps up removal of homeless encampments after US supreme court ruling

Crackdowns on homeless encampments are ramping up in California following the US supreme court’s ruling that cities can fine and jail unhoused people sleeping outside even when there is no shelter available.

In California, home to an estimated 123,000 unsheltered people living in tents, trailers, cars and makeshift shelters, the Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, last week issued an executive order calling for the removal of encampments across the state. His order directed state agencies to shutter tent sites on properties in their jurisdictions and urged local municipalities to adopt similar crackdowns.

The city council of Fresno in the Central valley gave initial approval for an ordinance on Monday prohibiting “sitting, lying, sleeping or camping on a public place … at any time”, saying a violation would be a criminal misdemeanor subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to one year in jail.

The San Francisco mayor, London Breed, sent out a memo this week outlining a more aggressive approach to sweeps, saying teams of police officers and public works employees will target encampments on a daily basis and that workers will return to swept sites to force out people who have returned.

The tougher approach has sparked widespread concern from civil rights groups and advocates for unhoused people who argue sweeps and criminalization are costly responses that exacerbate the crisis and fail to get people the help they need, particularly when there is a shortage of appropriate shelter space. During sweeps, unhoused people can lose their belongings, including medications and vital paperwork and end up scattered in hidden locations where they can be more vulnerable and it can be harder for outreach teams and their caseworkers to find them, advocates say.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/31/california-gavin-newsom-homeless-encampments

I don't think this will do Gavin Newsom any favors politically. YMMV. Too many people are homeless because of factors beyond their control.