California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a model ordinance for cities and counties to address homeless camps and called on local officials to adopt and implement the policies “without delay,” the governor announced on May 12.
The policies are backed up by a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June 2024 that found local jurisdictions can legally ban homeless encampments.
“There’s nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets,” Newsom said in a statement. “Local leaders asked for resources—we delivered the largest state investment in history. They asked for legal clarity—the courts delivered.”
The state was not “giving them a model they can put to work immediately, with urgency and with humanity,” to address encampment and connect homeless people to shelter, housing, and care, he said….