Homelessness is a problem that has been with us since biblical times. It was, in fact, addressed many times in various Bible passages. Even Jesus and the apostle Paul found themselves homeless at times. Thus, it is no surprise that the poor are still with us today. In the United States, California has long held the ignominious title of “homeless capital of the nation” and, as such, has become a political problem for Gov. Gavin Newsom. In an effort to address this lingering societal issue, Newsom has decided to ban the homeless from the streets of California.
On May 12, the governor issued an order “requiring officials to remove sidewalk tent encampments.” Additionally, he plans to allocate $3.3 billion to address the homelessness crisis that has plagued his state for decades. Throwing money at the problem hasn’t worked thus far, but Newsom seems convinced it will do the trick this time.
The Politics of Homelessness
Tent cities that dot the urban landscape of California have been a political conundrum for the governor. He famously conducted a dragnet in San Francisco before Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the City by the Bay for a US-China summit in 2023. At the time, Newsom admitted, “Oh, they're just cleaning up this place because all those fancy leaders are coming to town. That's true, because it's true – but it's also true for months and months and months before APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit], we've been having conversations.”
California politicians have been conversing about people without housing for a long time now. Though the number of those without homes in California has been dropping in recent years, it still harbors the most street dwellers. “[O]f the estimated 771,500 people experiencing homelessness in the nation, nearly a quarter live in California,” according to Deseret News. In a nutshell, it’s not a good look for someone who wants to run for president. And although he’s been coy about it, Newsom’s smoke signals are surely those of someone with presidential aspirations.
Newsom’s Plan of Action
Individuals living on California streets will be given 48 hours' advance notice to get up and get out. The hope is that they will move to shelters or even into “affordable housing.” However, the numbers don’t add up. A 2024 Housing and Urban Development report reveals emergency, safe haven, and transitional housing in the state comes to only 76,000 beds. According to an in-state document issued in 2022, 181,399 homeless individuals reside on the streets of California.
Still, Newsom appears determined to rid his state of this pesky homeless problem now, and his ordinance is quite clear. An abridged version asserts it is unlawful to:
“(a) To construct, place, or maintain on public property any semi-permanent structure, including but not limited to hand-built sheds and structures with metal or other heavy roofing and siding materials, for the purpose of sheltering one or more persons.
“(b) To camp on public property, including but not limited to using, placing or maintaining a tent, sleeping bag, blanket, or other materials for the purpose of sleeping, lying, or sheltering one or more persons for more than three consecutive days or nights in the same location.”
There are two more lengthy directives – but you get the picture: Newsom means business this time and, come hell or high water, the homeless must disappear. Presumably, the state funds provided in this recent ordinance will be used to build more housing facilities, but that’s a significant undertaking that will take time. So, what are the homeless to do between their 48-hour notice to get out and the construction of new shelters? The answer is pretty simple: They’ll have to shuffle off to another state. This is hardly the humane, “compassionate and dignified” way of treating the homeless that Newsom says will be ushered in under this new gubernatorial directive.
.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
