SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Diya TV) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing cities and counties to take a firmer stance on homeless encampments, unveiling a model ordinance that encourages municipalities to ban camping on sidewalks, parks, bike paths, and other public spaces.
In an announcement Monday, Newsom called on local governments to adopt a standardized set of rules aimed at clearing encampments that have proliferated statewide, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. While not a mandate, the governor’s proposal is backed by $3.3 billion in state-controlled housing and behavioral health funds, released from a voter-approved $6.4 billion bond.
“There are no more excuses,” 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. Now, we’re giving them a model they can put to work immediately, with urgency and humanity, to resolve encampments and connect people to shelter, housing, and care.”
The model ordinance, based on protocols used by the California Highway Patrol on state land, would make it illegal to construct or maintain semi-permanent structures on public property. It also restricts camping in one location for more than three consecutive days and prohibits sitting, lying, or sleeping in a way that blocks public rights-of-way.
Although the ordinance does not impose specific criminal penalties, banning such activity could expose unhoused individuals to citations or arrests, depending on how cities enforce it. The guidance emphasizes, however, that no one “should face criminal punishment for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go.”
California, home to nearly half of the nation’s unsheltered homeless population, continues to struggle with the crisis. In 2023, an estimated 187,000 people were homeless in the state, with two-thirds living outdoors, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
Public frustration is rising. A recent Politico/UC Berkeley poll found nearly 40% of California voters, including many Democrats, support arresting unhoused individuals who decline shelter offers. At the same time, almost half of the state’s political leaders oppose enforcement-based approaches.
The legal landscape has shifted following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows governments to penalize people for sleeping in public spaces — a reversal of previous federal court decisions that deemed such actions unconstitutional.
Seizing on that decision, Newsom directed state agencies to begin clearing encampments on public land. Cities like Long Beach and Fresno have followed suit, with Fresno making public camping a misdemeanor and Long Beach threatening arrests after multiple violations.
Still, many local leaders remain cautious. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has stressed voluntary programs like her “Inside Safe” initiative, which has contributed to the city’s first double-digit drop in street homelessness in nearly a decade. Others, like leaders in Los Angeles County, argue that without sufficient shelter capacity, enforcement merely displaces vulnerable populations.
According to the National Homelessness Law Center, only about 10% of California’s roughly 500 municipalities have adopted new camping restrictions. Despite Newsom’s funding boost, some cities have resisted expanding shelter space, citing legal risks and implementation hurdles.
The model ordinance calls for cities to make “every reasonable effort” to offer shelter and provide at least 48 hours’ notice before clearing camps. It also includes requirements for storing displaced personal belongings and urges compassion in enforcement.
State officials say the CHP has largely avoided arrests when clearing encampments, instead issuing citations tied to existing misdemeanor laws such as trespassing or obstruction. Since July 2021, state-led efforts have removed more than 16,000 encampments and over 311,000 cubic yards of debris.
