Local elected officials across Orange County may soon start clearing out homeless encampments under a new executive order signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday.
“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, ” reads a Thursday statement from Newsom.
“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.”
To read a copy of the order, click here.
The shift comes after the Supreme Court ruled last month that cities can enforce their anti-camping rules even without shelters to send homeless people to, a decision that was celebrated by Newsom and many local leaders.
[Read: Is Orange County About To Enforce Anti-Camping Laws Again?]
The order comes after a Voice of OC investigation found local homeless shelters are struggling to move people into housing and county leaders are reporting a bottleneck at shelters due to a lack of affordable homes in Orange County.
[Read: Is Orange County’s Homeless Shelter System Broken?]
Maura Mikulec, a social worker and member of the South County Homeless Task Force, said in a Thursday phone call the governor’s executive order will do nothing to solve homelessness.
“The fact remains that we do not have housing or housing assistance, nor even shelters, for literally thousands of Orange County residents who want help, have sought help, and who are just waiting for help,” she said.
“It is ignorant, cruel, full of self-interest, and tantamount to banishing poor, afflicted, and disabled neighbors from our communities, their communities,” she continued. “I hope the County and our local jurisdictions will show more wisdom and compassion than the Governor.”
Newsom’s executive order can’t compel cities or counties to move forward with any action, but orders state agencies to clean up any encampments on state property and encourages local leaders to do the same.
While county supervisors and city council members have decried the old rules that required they provide shelter beds as too restrictive and the source of ongoing homelessness problems, there haven’t been many changes since they were overruled by the Supreme Court last month.
County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento was the only supervisor to come out against Gov. Gavin Newsom on the decision, calling it a “short sighted approach,” to arrest homeless people who don’t have anywhere else to go.
He also highlighted the presence out of the county jail in his district, saying it was “exacerbating an already significant burden.”
“Although I share Governor Newsom’s concern for addressing the issues posed by encampments…our focus must remain on sustainable, long-term solutions,” Sarmiento said.
In a Thursday statement after publication of this article, OC Board of Supervisor Chairman Don Wagner lambasted Newsom’s track record on homelessness and said local jurisdictions should not give up local control on homelessness response to the governor.
“I’m happy that the Governor has decided to not dictate to Orange County how we will address clearing out the homeless encampments in our jurisdiction and allow us to tackle this issue without being micromanaged by the state,” read his statement.
“We will do what we believe is appropriate for our local communities, both by being compassionate to the homeless, and giving reprieve to the law-abiding citizens who have for far too long been forced to tolerate this unacceptable situation in their neighborhoods and communities.”
Supervisor Katrina Foley said the new order won’t dramatically change things in Orange County, highlighting how they were already removing encampments, and noted the focus should be to ensure those leaving the encampments were transitioning to shelters or other aid options.
“This is not new for Orange County, because remember we cleared the river trail and the courthouse years ago,” Foley said. “We’ve had…comparatively, good success, but there’s still so much work to be done.”
Supervisor Doug Chaffee said in a Thursday morning phone call that he had not seen the order but also said it would not change the county’s approach to address homelessness.
“Some cities may have a different point of view, but from a county point of view, we are where we are. We’re not doing anything different,” he said.
Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark said in a Thursday statement after publication that the governor’s order was light on substance and politically motivated.
“As a law-and-order City, Huntington Beach will continue enforcement of both State and local laws and will continue to keep our streets, parks, beaches, and other public spaces free, clear, safe, and clean for all of the public to enjoy,” she said
Anaheim Spokesman Mike Lyster said in a Thursday email after publication that the city does not allow long term encampments and works with CalTrans to clear encampments near freeways.
“Sadly, you can find small encampments across our city. With those, we start with a process of offering shelter and other help through our social worker outreach team. After help has been offered, we will clear encampments. We will keep doing so and welcome the state’s renewed focus on this issue,” he said.
Thursday’s executive order comes as local county and state leaders continue to grapple with homelessness and a statewide housing crisis.
Earlier this year, county leaders reported 7,322 homeless people in Orange County – a close to 2,000-person increase in the county’s homeless population since 2022.
Over 4,100 of those people are unsheltered.
[Read: Orange County Homeless Population Continues Growing]
Meanwhile, over 180,000 in California were homeless last year – more than any other state in the country, according to a 2023 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report.
And 123,000 of them are unsheltered, according to the executive order.
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a Ground Truth initiative. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @NBiesiada.
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.
