California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, said on Newsmax Thursday night that the state's “policies and inaction” are to blame for the high homelessness rate.
Homelessness has been an epidemic in California for the past few years, and Governor Newsom recently issued an executive order authorizing the removal of homeless camps. Despite billions of dollars already being spent on the problem, Governor Newsom said on “The Record with Greta Van Susteren” that the problem is caused by the state's own policies that prevent enough housing from being built.
“So because of our own policies and inaction, we've rested on our laurels, we've allowed NIMBY-ism to take over our state. We're not building housing. It's economics 101, supply and demand. We haven't built enough housing for decades and decades. So cost of living, affordability, has become a major issue in our state,” Newsom said.
The California governor continued to blast Republican-led states such as Florida, arguing they are also suffering a “skyrocketing homelessness” due to the costs of both housing and insurance. (Related article: California doesn't know how much its homeless programs are spending, audit finds)
“But my sense as I travel across the country is that housing and homelessness are becoming more and more important. Homelessness is decreasing not just in blue states, but in red states as well,” Newsom continued. “We're seeing new numbers in places where homelessness surged last year, like Florida. Housing costs, insurance costs are getting tougher across the board and in states like Florida.”
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“So it's not a surprise to me that Kamala Harris mentioned affordability and housing in the economic plan she put out, not only from the perspective of being a former Californian having served the state, but also because as vice president, she understands our country and its challenges,” Newsom said.
California accounts for approximately 30% of the homeless population in the United States. According to “The number of homeless people in the U.S. is on the rise,” he told U.S. News & World Report, citing 2023 estimates from the annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress.
In early April, the state auditor found that California's Joint Committee on Homelessness (ICH), the agency charged with coordinating and evaluating the state's efforts to reduce homelessness, “has not consistently tracked and evaluated” the issue. According to the auditor's report, the ICH's failure to do so has meant that California is lacking “up-to-date information on the ongoing costs and results of its homelessness programs.”
Governor Newsom is working to address the state's homelessness problem, and a new executive order will require government agencies to provide 48 hours' notice to evict people when dealing with encampments unless “an emergency exists.”
“This executive order directs state agencies to act with urgency to address unsafe encampments and provide support and assistance to the people who live there, and directs cities and counties to do the same,” Newsom said when issuing the order. “The state has worked hard to address this crisis on our streets. There are no longer any excuses. Now is the time for everyone to do their part.”
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