[ad_1]
SACROMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday once again urged California cities and counties to ban homeless encampments, increasing pressure campaigns on local governments, and following state leads to remove tents from sidewalks and other public property.
“There’s nothing compassionate about people dying on the streets,” Newsmu said in a statement. “Local leaders sought resources – we provided the biggest state investment in history. They sought legal clarity – the courts delivered. Now we are giving them a model that allows them to work quickly in urgently and in humanity, settle camps and connect people to shelter, housing and care.
The Democratic governor issued a model ordinance for local governments to adopt, which his office described as a starting point, before the jurisdictions created their own policies. Newsom’s plan calls on locals to ban permanent camps at one location and campsites that block sidewalks. Also, local officials must try to provide shelter before deleting temporary housing.
Newsom linked the release of a $3.3 billion funding from Prop. 1, approved by voters in 2024, with the announcement that the community will expand behavioral health housing and treatment options for mentally ill and homeless populations. Funds are not conditional on cities that ban camping.
The funds add to the $27 billion the state has already given local governments to address the homelessness, a challenging political issue in California.
Homeless advocates have repeatedly argued that the state has enough supportive housing and shelter beds, and that there are not enough supportive housing and shelter beds to pour people removed from tents and sidewalks into better condition. Governors often express their frustration over the lack of progress at the local level, casting homelessness as a humanitarian crisis and health and safety issues.
Last year, Newsom requested state agencies to remove homeless encampments on state property, and urged local governments to do the same.
[ad_2]Source link
