Newsom’s push to ban homeless encampments is making housing advocates uncomfortable

Gov Gavin Newsom is pushing California municipalities to ban homeless encampments saying it s time to take moves that let the general see results Newsom on Monday issued a model ordinance that municipalities can adopt to ban homeless encampments on populace property the latest rightward step the governor has taken on housing issues Newsom a prominent Democratic figure and likely presidential candidate has spent the last inadequate years trying to stake himself to the right of majority of his fellow Democrats on several issues including this one It s not human to allow people to live three four five years in encampments It s not human to allow the status quo to continue Newsom narrated reporters Monday during a news conference in which he declared the measures he proposed reflect a deeper sense of clarity between state and local efforts to address the homelessness situation in California The model ordinance which includes citations or arrest as feasible consequences for those who violate the ban is not an executive order Instead localities would need to implement it themselves Newsom also declared billion to help fund mental soundness and homelessness solutions Last year California voters approved more than billion in funding to build additional mental vitality facilities and homeless shelters in the state On Monday Newsom also called on local governments to streamline their permitting processes to speed up the building of these facilities State lawmakers and housing advocates were still trying to understand the governor s proposal and several of them expressed alarm at what this could mean for homeless people California has an outsized unsheltered population with nearly unhoused people according to the Populace Protocol Institute of California Dennis Oleesky interim CEO of Los Angeles Mission a nonprofit faith-based organization focused on homelessness disclosed Newsom s model ordinance leans heavily on enforcement without offering sufficient guarantees that real housing or services will be in place before people are displaced Yes the ordinance includes language about offering shelter and services but we ve seen that those offers often amount to temporary fixes a mat on a floor for one night or a referral to a shelter that s already full Oleesky reported in a declaration to NOTUS There s no meaningful path to permanence for largest part people being displaced and unless that s addressed this program risks being a revolving door of disruption rather than a real explanation Sen Alex Padilla who stated NOTUS he was just learning about the push to crack down on encampments reported he felt a combination of approaches would be necessary to cut down on homelessness We should be doing everything we can to help get people off the street but that includes doing everything we can to get people the healing they need if they re suffering from a mental illness Padilla recounted NOTUS Sen Adam Schiff who also disclosed he was just learning of Newsom s recommendations advised NOTUS that while he doesn t want to see Democrats criminalizing homelessness he also feels homeless people have a right to a safe setting We first need to make sure that there are beds available in shelters but if there are available spaces I think a city has the right to make sure that people can walk down their sidewalk that businesses can make sure customers can enter their buildings without stepping over people and we protect against debris that can pose a wellbeing and fire vulnerability Schiff recounted NOTUS Midnight Mission the oldest continuously operating homeless outreach organization in Los Angeles which primarily serves Skid Row narrated NOTUS it is still learning more about Governor Newsom s new mandate on homeless encampments we are committed to continuing our work and helping those who need it greater part There is still much that remains unclear regarding the full impact of this program and we will be closely monitoring developments as they unfold Georgia Berkovich chief communications officer at Midnight Mission mentioned in an email to NOTUS This push is not the first sign of Newsom s rightward shift on homelessness The California governor has distributed billion to help localities clear encampments since taking office Newsom revealed at a news conference last year and has a history of temporarily withholding funds for not clearing encampments Last year Newsom doubled down on his efforts to radically decrease homeless encampments in California using an executive order that attracted criticism from homeless advocacy groups and various Democratic-run cities like Los Angeles Last summer when the Supreme Court ruled that cities have the right to criminally prosecute people for sleeping in community spaces Newsom supported the decision He then issued an executive order mandating every state agency clear homeless encampments on state property This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS a publication from the nonprofit nonpartisan Allbritton Journalism Institute and NEWSWELL home of Times of San Diego Santa Barbara News-Press and Stocktonia