California – The California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order telling law enforcement officials to remove homeless camps that line some freeways, shopping mall parking lots and parks.

“The order comes after a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this summer allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces. The case was the most significant on the issue to come before the high court in decades and comes as cities across the country have wrestled with the politically complicated issue of how to deal with a rising number of people without a permanent place to live and public frustration over related health and safety issues.”

Newsom cannot order local authorities to act but can make things difficult by withholding funding.

Roughly one third of the nations homeless population calls California home.  “Newsom touted that his administration has spent roughly $24 billion aimed at cleaning up streets and housing people but acknowledged the stubbornness of the issue. Newsom’s administration has also come under fire recently after a state audit found that the state didn’t consistently track whether the huge outlay of public money actually improved the situation.”