Newsom announces efforts to sweep homeless encampments near state roads: ‘I’m fed up’
Eden Villalovas
Video Embed
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announced millions in grant money to help local and state agencies clean up homeless encampments near California roads.
The Democratic governor said nearly $300 million will go to local jurisdictions, and the other half will go to Caltrans, the state’s Department of Transportation, to sweep camps on state property such as highways, bike paths, and parks, while assisting the homeless in finding other places to live.
CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS SAY KAMALA HARRIS COULD HAVE UPPER HAND OVER GAVIN NEWSOM IF THEY RUN
“We’ve got to move, people are counting on us,” Newsom said in a news briefing on Monday. “The public has had it, they’re fed up, I’m fed up, we’re all fed up.”
To date, the Golden State has removed 5,679 encampments in the state right-of-way, and the latest grant funds add on to the $414 million awarded from the state’s Encampment Resolution Fund, which was established in 2021 and serves 66 counties. Cities and counties will be able to apply for and receive the latest round of funds until June 2024 or until the funds are exhausted.
“Through the Encampment Resolution Grants, Caltrans is working to connect people experiencing homelessness on its right-of-way to more secure and stable housing situations offered by local partners,” Alisa Becerra, Caltrans deputy division chief, said in a press release. “The strength of this effort relies on collaboration, trust, and a shared commitment to creating real solutions that help the people who need it most.”
Multiple counties across California have declared a state of emergency on homelessness, such as Alameda County in the East Bay. At the end of last year, Democratic Mayor Karen Bass used her first day in office to issue a state of emergency for Los Angeles’s homelessness crisis.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
As of 2022, 30% of the nation’s homeless population resided in California, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Since Newsom took office in 2019, California has spent over $20 billion toward housing and homelessness, mainly through the general fund, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
“Since day one, combatting homelessness has been a top priority. Encampments are not safe for the people living in them, or for community members around them,” Newsom said in a press release.