California Orders Homeless People to Be Evicted from All Public Spaces

California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday that allows the eviction of homeless people camping in public spaces, based on a recent decision by the Supreme Court. 

The order provides for the dismantling of thousands of homeless campsites. "It orders state agencies to urgently intervene in response to dangerous campsites and provide support and assistance to the individuals living in them," Newsom explained in statements to CNN, cited by the Europa Press agency. It also establishes criteria and guidelines so that cities and municipalities "can do the same". "There are simply no more excuses. It is time for everyone to do their part", stressed the governor of the western state. Newsom's decision was criticized by organizations that support the homeless. "Newsom could have issued this order before the (Supreme Court) decision. 

The only difference is that now authorities are free to confine and detain people even if there are no available spaces" in shelters, warned Chris Herring, a professor of sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"Before the Supreme Court decision, cities could try to provide shelter before dismantling encampments. Now (...) they will be able to dismantle them under the threat of imposing incredibly high fines that these people cannot afford, or risk ending up in jail," he also stressed.

A spokesperson for the San Francisco City Council assured that the city has already begun to intervene.

"The team goes out every day to provide shelter for people and to clean and clear out encampments," highlighted Parisa Safarzadeh.

The Supreme Court decision is based on a case in a small Oregon city, Grants Pass, which prohibited homeless people from camping in certain areas.

He therefore rejects the claim that this is cruel or degrading treatment, as alleged by human rights organizations.

This decision is one of the most important in recent decades regarding the more than 653,000 homeless people in the country, according to data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This conservative decision, paradoxically, benefits states with a Democratic majority such as California, where prominent representatives have asked the Supreme Court for a decision of this type to deal more effectively with the presence of homeless people on their streets.