Governor Gavin Newsom says California counties and cities need to step up their efforts to clear out homeless encampments and get people into shelters where they can get help.
KNX News' Pete Demetriou reports that the governor is backing up that challenge with a threat: make it happen or lose state funding.
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Newsom made comments to that effect following a Clean California Initiative in which he participated in removing a homeless encampment under the 5 freeways in Mission Hills.
He pointed out that the state has passed emergency funding for mental health and drug rehab programs and for Care Courts. Voters passed a $6 billion bond for homelessness relief, and there have been changes in conservatorship rules and even a Supreme Court decision allowing cities to remove the homeless from sidewalks.
Given all that Newsom says, city and county governments must comply with this executive order on homelessness relief - or else.
"Any county that wants to partner with us and step up with a sense of urgency that can demonstrably produce results, we're going to double down on our support," said Newsom.
"Any county that's not interested in that and is holding on to stale talking points from the eighties and nineties, we're not interested in continuing the funding," he continued.
He said cities can do their part by apply for federal grants, but, "The state's unprecedented billions and billions of dollars of support, I'm not interested in providing that support and not seeing the results. I'm a taxpayer, not just the governor. It's not complicated. We'll send that money to counties that are producing results."
Newsom says funding from non-complying cities and counties could be redirected as soon as January 1st.
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