Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday introduced a brand new statewide job pressure that can prioritize clearing homeless encampments and increasing providers in California’s 10 largest cities, together with Los Angeles.
The State Motion for Facilitation on Encampments, or SAFE Process Pressure, will coordinate experience and packages throughout state businesses to deal with encampments. The purpose is to work with native governments to maneuver individuals from the streets into short-term shelter and finally everlasting housing, in response to the governor’s workplace.
“California has put in place a robust, complete technique for preventing the nationwide homelessness and housing crises — and is outperforming the nation because of this in turning this concern round,” Newsom stated in a press release.
“Nobody ought to stay in a harmful or unsanitary encampment, and we are going to proceed our ongoing work to make sure that everybody has a protected place to name dwelling,” he added.
The duty pressure will start operations inside 30 days in areas equivalent to Los Angeles, San Diego, Lengthy Seashore and Anaheim.
Newsom has issued a number of directives geared toward addressing encampments and holding native governments accountable.
In 2024, following the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s ruling in Grants Cross v. Johnson, which upheld native legal guidelines banning tenting on public property, Newsom signed an government order to clear encampments utilizing a so-called “state-tested mannequin.”
The governor beforehand stated he would rescind state funding for native municipalities that don’t take away homeless encampments. Utilizing a web-based software, accountability.ca.gov, residents can comb by knowledge factors to trace progress on homelessness, housing and habits well being.
In the meantime, California voters authorised Proposition 1 in March 2024, authorizing $6.4 billion in bonds to increase psychological well being and dependancy providers, construct everlasting supportive housing and assist homeless veterans.
Newsom additionally launched the Neighborhood Help, Restoration and Empowerment (CARE) Court docket program, designed to put individuals with untreated schizophrenia and different extreme psychological sicknesses into housing and therapy. Initially anticipated to start out in July 2022, CARE Court docket launched in October 2023 in seven counties after issues in regards to the timeline to create a brand new authorized construction.
The SAFE Process Pressure is predicted to implement and advance these initiatives with the next businesses:
— California Workplace of Emergency shall be chargeable for logistical coordination and procurement
— Enterprise, Shopper Companies and Housing Company will oversee housing and homeless grants
— California Interagency Council on Homelessness will provide steering to native governments, coordinate supportive providers, and facilitate cooperation with native businesses
— California Well being and Human Companies will assist and monitor locally-provided well being care and habits well being assist, in addition to therapies funded by Prop 1
— California Freeway Patrol will present assist throughout encampment operations and monitor cleared areas
— California State Transportation Company shall be instantly chargeable for clearing encampments situated on state rights-of-ways
In line with Newsom’s workplace, this week Caltrans reached an settlement with San Francisco that improves coordination with addressing encampments on state right-of-ways.
In July, an analogous settlement was made with San Diego elected officers.
Between 2014 and 2019, unsheltered homelessness in California elevated by roughly 37,000 individuals.
Final 12 months, whereas homelessness elevated nationally by greater than 18%, California restricted its total enhance to three%, a decrease fee in comparison with 40 different states.
Newsom’s workplace touted the state held the expansion of unsheltered homelessness to simply 0.45%, in comparison with a nationwide enhance of almost 7%. Florida, Texas, New York and Illinois skilled a bigger homelessness enhance.
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