California Governor Gavin Newsom was seen seemingly avoiding the spotlight as he was spotted clearing a homeless encampment in Los Angeles.
The 56-year-old Democrat stepped out Thursday to personally address his state’s homeless epidemic, days after ordering California agencies to step up efforts to combat the problem.
Newsom appeared in a clip shared by a man dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. FOX Los Angeles Reporter Throwing trash around a campsite in Mission Hills.
Earlier this week, the governor warned local governments across California that they would lose state funding next year if they failed to address the Golden State’s homeless problem.
California Governor Gavin Newsom dressed casually as he cleared a homeless encampment in Los Angeles on Thursday
The Democrat got his hands dirty days after threatening to withhold state funding if local California officials did not step up cleanup of homeless encampments.
Newsom’s warning about state funding follows an executive order he signed June 25 requiring state agencies and communities to remove homeless encampments.
In the executive order, Newsom cited staggering levels of homelessness in California, with official estimates putting the number of homeless people in the state in 2023 at 180,000.
Newsom said in a statement at the time that it is “imperative to act with urgency” to address “dangerous” homeless encampments.
“(The camps) subject unsheltered people living in them to extreme weather conditions, fires, predatory and criminal activity, and widespread substance use,” he said.
‘Harming their health, safety and well-being, and also threatening the safety and viability of nearby businesses and neighborhoods and undermining the cleanliness and usability of parks, water supplies and other public resources.’
While the executive order was intended to clear out the encampments, Newsom insisted the measure would also “help the people living in them.”
“The state has worked hard to address this crisis on our streets. There are simply no more excuses. It’s time for everyone to do their part,” he said.
Last month, Newsom issued an executive order requiring state agencies and communities to remove homeless encampments, an issue that has plagued his time in office.
Homeless people are seen on the streets of San Francisco on July 31, 2024, shortly after Newsom issued his executive order to clear out the encampments.
California’s governor has threatened to withhold state funding from counties that fail to address homelessness, as seen in San Francisco last month.
Following his apparent attempt to get his hands dirty by cleaning up the area on Thursday, Newsom vowed to take away state funding from local authorities he believes are not doing their part.
“I want to see results,” he said.
“I don’t want to read about them. I don’t want to see the data. I want to see them.”
The executive order came after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that said governments could not force people to leave camps if shelter beds were not available.
The Newsom administration wrote in support of the cities’ arguments that previous rulings, including one barring San Francisco from evicting the encampments, have prevented the state from addressing a critical problem.
California is home to roughly a third of the nation’s homeless population, a problem that has dogged Newsom since he took office.
There are thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state lining highways and filling parking lots and public parks.
The state has spent roughly $24 billion under Newsom’s leadership to clean streets and house people.
That includes at least $3.2 billion in grants given to local governments to build shelters, clean up encampments and connect homeless people with services they deem appropriate, Newsom said.
According to Newsom’s office, approximately 180,000 people are homeless in California, representing more than a third of the entire homeless population nationwide.
California has spent roughly $24 billion under Newsom’s leadership to clean streets and shelter people, but the governor said the problem is still widespread across the state.
In issuing his call to action, Newsom said he “wants to see results,” adding: “I don’t want to read about them. I don’t want to see the data. I want to see them.”
These have been unprecedented investments by the state, he added, but his administration will begin to redirect that money in January.
“This is not about criminalization,” Newsom said. “What is criminal is neglecting the people who struggle, suffer and die on our watch.”
It’s not the first time Newsom has vowed to cut funding over what he sees as lackluster efforts by local governments to address homelessness.
In 2022, he threatened to withhold $1 billion in homeless spending from cities and counties over lack of progress.
Last month, his office took back a $10 million grant sent to San Diego to build tiny homes because the county did not act quickly enough.
San Francisco’s mayor has taken more aggressive steps to clear out the encampments, but others, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County officials, have responded by saying the governor’s approach won’t work.
Newsom on Thursday praised Bass’s work in successfully reducing the number of people sleeping rough in Los Angeles, adding that his frustration is directed primarily at the counties.
The California State Association of Counties, which represents 58 California counties, said it will not weigh in on the governor’s announcement Thursday.
Instead, a spokesperson pointed to a statement in response to Newsom’s order last month that counties “will continue to work alongside the Governor and share his sense of urgency.”