Newsom eyes dismantling homeless encampments with California task force
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Friday that he has created a new task force to dismantle homeless encampments in his state’s largest cities, citing public safety concerns.
“California has put in place a strong, comprehensive strategy for fighting the national homelessness and housing crises — and is outperforming the nation as a result in turning this issue around,” Newsom said in a statement. “No one should live in a dangerous or unsanitary encampment, and we will continue our ongoing work to ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home.”
The State Action for Facilitation on Encampments (SAFE) Task Force is expected to target encampments on state rights-of-way in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Long Beach, Anaheim, Bakersfield and Fresno over the next 30 days.
The SAFE Task Force includes California’s Office of Emergency Services; Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency; California Interagency Council on Homelessness; California Health and Human Services; California Highway Patrol; and the California State Transportation Agency.
The governor’s office said the clearing of homeless camps would be coupled with efforts to provide services and shelter for people experiencing homelessness.
Newsom signed an executive order last year directing state agencies to adopt policies to clear camps on state property, as part of a broader push to address California’s “homelessness crisis,” after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling granted authorities more leeway to curtail encampments.
Newsom’s 2024 order noted that the state had spent more than $24 billion across multiple state agencies and departments to address homelessness since he took office in 2019.
The governor’s Friday news release contrasted his effort with President Trump’s removal of encampments in Washington, D.C., which are ongoing.
“Unlike the haphazard strategies employed by the Trump Administration, California’s SAFE Task Force brings together each of the tools created by Governor Newsom to clear encampments and connect people with the care they need,” the release said.
The White House said earlier this month that homeless people in the nation’s capital could be subject to fines and jail time as the administration continues its sweeping anti-crime efforts.
“The homeless problem has ravaged the city,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Aug. 12. “Homeless individuals will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental health services, and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time.”
Newsom is seen as an early front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 and has been engaging in an ongoing effort to mock Trump with social media posts mimicking the president’s bombastic style.
He announced plans Thursday to deploy “crime suppression teams” throughout the state, again contrasting his efforts with Trump’s.
“The President is doing things TO PEOPLE. California is doing it WITH PEOPLE,” Newsom wrote on social platform X.