California Governor Gavin Newsom recently issued an executive order demanding local governments "urgently address homeless encampments," according to a Thursday press release.

Newsom has claimed for decades that solving California's homelessness crisis is one of his top concerns; however, under the politician's leadership, the problem has continued to escalate. The state currently has roughly 181,000 homeless individuals and only 71,000 emergency shelter beds, according to Cal Matters.

It is unclear where Newsom would like local municipalities to relocate the homeless population, but he is pushing leaders to do so swiftly.

Newsom claimed that his abrupt announcement to clean up the encampments was sparked by a United States Supreme Court decision handed down a month ago.

In a Thursday press release, the governor's office wrote, "With the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v Johnson, local governments now have the tools and authority to address dangerous encampments and help provide those residing in encampments with the resources they need."

The high court's ruling found that laws restricting homeless individuals from sleeping in public areas do not constitute "cruel and unusual punishment" and, therefore, such restrictions are not unconstitutional.

"I don't think there's anything more urgent and more frustrating than addressing the issue of encampments in the state of California," Newsom said in a video posted to social media. "We've invested now over $1 billion in encampment resolution grants."

"In the past, the courts have denied the ability of the local government — including the state — to clean up many of these encampments," Newsom claimed.

"We're done," he continued. "It's time to move with urgency at the local level to clean up these sites."

Newsom called on local governments to "do their job."

In a post on X, he declared, "No more excuses. We've provided the time. We've provided the funds."

Republicans speculated that Newsom's sense of urgency may have more to do with the recent announcement that Vice President Kamala Harris plans to run as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee in the upcoming 2024 election. Harris has been viewed as largely responsible for California's prison-to-homelessness pipeline for supporting soft-on-crime policies. GOP lawmakers called the move to clean up the state's streets a "PR stunt" by Newsom, who is being floated as a potential pick for running mate.

The governor previously cleaned up San Francisco's streets ahead of the U.S.-China summit in late 2023. Newsom admitted that the decision was motivated by the event.

"I know folks are saying, 'Oh they're just cleaning up this place because all those fancy leaders are coming to town.' That's true, because it's true — but it's also true for months and months and months before APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit], we've been having conversations," he said.

In response to Newsom's new executive order to clear encampments, state Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) remarked, "It's about damn time!"

"Letting people live and die on the streets or in our parks is unsafe and unsanitary," Jones stated, according to Fox News Digital. "I introduced a proposal earlier this year that would have provided even greater and more immediate solutions. While I am cautiously optimistic that the governor has finally taken note of the urgency of this problem, albeit many years later than needed, Californians deserve government for the people, not the PR hits."

Earlier this year, all state Senate Republicans, including Jones, introduced Senate Bill 1011, a bipartisan effort to prohibit people from sleeping in public areas when shelter space is available. Some Senate Democrats rejected the measure.

Senator Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks) called Newsom's order "a good step" but noted that it would "require significant follow-through to ensure its effectiveness."

"Homelessness is one of the biggest challenges we face today, and it is imperative we take swift, decisive and effective action to address it," Niello stated.

Republican Assembly Leader James Gallagher wrote on X in response to the executive action, "Big promises. No action. [B]lame locals. No press. Rinse and repeat."

Just last week, Newsom vetoed an assembly bill that, if enacted, would have required his administration to submit to annual evaluations of funds provided to its Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program.

"Gavin likes to spend. Oversight? Not so much.," Gallagher said.

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