Gov. Newsom wants cities to remove homeless camps. Will it happen in SLO County?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a sweeping executive order Thursday that directs state agencies — and potentially some San Luis Obispo County cities — to ramp up clearing out homeless encampments.
On Thursday, Newsom ordered state agencies and departments to adopt policies and plans consistent with the Caltrans’ existing encampment policy. Under that policy, state agencies must clear encampments from state land while providing advance notice of clearance, working with local service providers to support those experiencing homelessness at the encampment and storing personal property collected at the site for at least 60 days.
“This executive order directs state agencies to move urgently to address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them — and provides guidance for cities and counties to do the same,” Newsom said in a news release. “The state has been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets. There are simply no more excuses. It’s time for everyone to do their part.”
However, in San Luis Obispo County, that impact may be lessened somewhat.
Multiple cities The Tribune reached for comment said the executive would have little effect on the way they approach clearing homeless encampments, if any.
“While the executive order is not binding on cities, the city of San Luis Obispo’s current practices are consistent with the order,” San Luis Obispo public communications manager Whitney Szentesi said. “For years, the city has emphasized the need for compassion and accountability when addressing homeless encampments. We will continue to use a collaborative, unified approach, and we are committed to exercising reasonable care, compassion and discretion when making decisions about homeless encampments in San Luis Obispo that are within the city’s jurisdiction.”
Will Newsom’s order actually affect SLO County encampment polices?
Depending on who you ask, Newsom’s order gives cities and state agencies more authority to clean up encampments that were previously difficult to disband thanks to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in the Grants Pass vs. Johnson case.
Grants Pass vs. Johnson was predicated on the idea that if a city can’t house or shelter its residents, it cannot tell them to vacate from the public places where they rest.
In theory, the case limited what ordinances on camping a city could or could not enforce. In practice, many cities contacted by The Tribune said their encampment policies would not change much with Newsom’s order.
San Luis Obispo County said its encampment policies already comply with the order, but it will continue to move people out of encampments and try to connect them to housing, county homeless services division deputy director Linda Belch said in a statement.
“We know simply disbanding encampments without providing housing solutions just moves the issue elsewhere,” Belch said. “Our goal is to address encampments, not shuffle people around.”
Most other cities will follow a similar “wait and see” approach in coming months to see how their policies align with Newsom’s instructions.
Most cities in the area, including San Luis Obispo, have some kind of policy for clearing encampments, which require removal when they pose a public health or safety issue.
San Luis Obispo’s policy is to store personal belongings for up to 90 days so long as they can’t be considered abandoned, soiled or potentially hazardous, which is longer than Caltrans’ 60-day storage policy.
In statements to The Tribune, the cities of Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Paso Robles and Atascadero all said their encampment policies and efforts already align with the governor’s order.
“We will be closely monitoring how the order is implemented on state-owned properties in San Luis Obispo and will work collaboratively with state agencies to ensure that state’s actions are addressing root issues, including services and shelter needs, not merely pushing encampments onto City properties without connecting people to services,” Szentesi said.
The Tribune reached out to representatives of Caltrans District 5 and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for comment, but did not receive a reply.
This story was originally published July 30, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
