Governor Newsom orders eviction of homeless encampments in California

California's governor Gavin Newsom has issued a directive urging local officials across the state to evict homeless encampments, arguing that inaction is no longer an option.

In a statement, the Democrat declared, "There’s nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets,” underscoring the urgency of addressing the homelessness crisis plaguing the state.

California is home to the largest homeless population in the United States, with at least 187,000 individuals, and Los Angeles having the largest number, second only to New York nationally.

Newsom's order, announced Monday, includes specific measures to regulate encampments, such as prohibiting "persistent camping" in a single location, restricting encampments that obstruct roads and requiring local officials to notify affected individuals and offer shelter options before conducting cleanup operations.

To support these actions, the governor has allocated $3.3 billion in additional funding aimed at providing housing and treatment options for the homeless.

Newsom, 57, has referred to this on several occasions. In 2019, he devoted his State of theState address to what he described as an "epidemic" of homelessness.

At the time, he highlighted the plight of vulnerable groups such as families, veterans, victims of rent increases and survivors of domestic violence, whom he called "invisible" and abandoned by society. However, the problem persists in several Democratic-led cities, including San Francisco, where Newsom was mayor, and Seattle.

The governor said local authorities now have the requested remedies and the courts have clarified the legality of the evictions, removing any excuse for inaction. "The time for inaction is over. There are no more excuses,” he emphasized.

Newsom's directive comes against a backdrop in which the governor has generated headlines for his criticism of certain Democratic policies.

Recently, he expressed agreement with conservative influencer Charlie Kirk over the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports, calling it "deeply unfair."

He also generated controversy by referring to the deportation of Kilmar Abrego García in El Salvador as "the distraction of the day," although he later praised a similar visit by Congressman Robert Garcia, which drew criticism from within his own party.