Blue-state Gov. Gavin Newsom took to the streets of California on Thursday to clean up trash left behind by homeless camps, threatening municipalities that if they don't clean up the camps they will lose state funding next year.
A frustrated Newsom was seen picking up trash from an evicted encampment in Los Angeles — one of the state’s largest centers for homeless people living outdoors — alongside the California Department of Transportation. Homelessness in California accounts for about a third of the country’s crisis.
“I want to see the results,” Newsom told reporters Thursday. “I don't want to read about them. I don't want to see the data. I want to see them.”
GOVERNOR NEWSOM ORDERS ELIMINATING HOMELESS CAMPS ACROSS CALIFORNIA: 'NO MORE EXCUSES'
Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and people at a homeless encampment in California. (Getty Images)
The number of homeless people has skyrocketed in the Golden State under Newsom’s leadership. According to the 2024 count, which provides a snapshot of the number of homeless people on a given night, the number of homeless people in California rose to about 172,000. This represented an increase from the 131,000 homeless people estimated in 2018, the year Newsom took office.
Thursday’s announcement was a continuation of Newsom’s growing efforts to urge local governments to conduct more raids on homeless encampments after the Supreme Court ruled that governments can force people to leave camps. Last month, Newsom ordered state agencies to begin clearing encampments from state property and has been pushing local officials to follow suit.
“We have no more excuses,” Newsom told reporters. “The last big excuse was, 'Well, the courts say we can't do anything.' Well, that's no longer the case, so we had a simple executive order: Do your job. … You have the money, you have the flexibility, you have the green light, you have the support of the state and the public is demanding it.”
A HUGE RESIDENTIAL TOWER IN CALIFORNIA WILL OFFER PRIVATE ROOMS, GYM, CAFE AND MORE AMENITIES FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE
A homeless encampment in Oakland, California. (Getty)
But some local leaders disagree with Newsom's approach. In a statement to ABC7 News, Los Angeles County officials said in part: “New bed capacity needs to be built to accommodate a patient population that will require closed facilities when they are involuntarily held for treatment.”
“If those steps are not taken first, the work of getting people off the streets for their own health and safety would fail,” the statement continued. “This does not mean that Los Angeles County will sit idly by. Our Pathway Home encampment resolution program has already moved hundreds of people inside their homes, and we have also been an extensive supporter of the City of Los Angeles’ Inside Safe program, which has housed thousands more.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told the outlet she would “love to explain to the governor what we're doing, because we are.”
HOMELESS MAN ALLEGEDLY KIDNAPS 4-YEAR-OLD BOY FROM CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT AMID SURGE IN CRIME
A homeless encampment on the sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. (Toby Canham for Fox News Digital)
“I'm not going to criticize the fact that he issued that order because I actually support what he wants to do. My goal is to get everyone going in the same direction. You can go in and clear the camp, but if you don't coordinate with the different jurisdictions around you, you're just moving that problem,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Newsom administration blamed counties and cities after a state audit report found that its own homelessness task force failed to track how billions of dollars were spent trying to address the crisis over the past five years.
At the time, a senior spokesman for the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (CICH), which coordinates homeless programs across the state, told Fox News Digital that the audit findings “highlight the significant progress made in recent years to address homelessness at the state level, including the completion of a statewide evaluation of homeless programs.”
Tents and belongings at a homeless encampment at Toriumi Plaza at 1st Street and Judge John Aiso Street in Los Angeles. (Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)
Over the past five years, the CICH did not consistently track whether the money actually improved the situation, the audit concluded.
The spokesman added local governments “are primarily responsible for implementing these programs and collecting data on outcomes that the state can use to evaluate program effectiveness.”
Since 2016, California has spent more than $25 billion on fighting homelessness. This includes state, local and federal funds aimed at pushing the state’s “Housing First” ideology through various programs, which prioritize placing people in housing before addressing mental illness or substance abuse issues.
The Housing First model began in 2016 through SB 1380. Authored by Democratic state Sen. Ed Hernandez, the bill expanded state resources for permanent housing for homeless people without requirements like sobriety or employment.
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In response to Fox News Digital's request for comment, a spokesperson for Newsom addressed Thursday's press conference and provided a statement.
“The state of California is doing more than ever. We'll continue to do more. But these will be my final words on this: If we don't see demonstrable results, I'm going to start redirecting money. I'm no longer interested in the status quo. And that's going to start in January with the January budget. We've been supporting local government that embraces those efforts and focuses on a sense of urgency, and we're going to redouble our efforts. If local government isn't interested, we'll redirect money to parts of the state, cities and counties that are.”
