SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Leaders across the region are responding to Governor Gavin Newsom's executive order urging state and local agencies to address homelessness in their communities.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg says he doesn't think the order will change what they do dramatically. He also stressed that with enforcement, there must also be connection to resources.
"It will give the city some more discretion on the enforcement side, there's no question about that," Steinberg said at a Thursday press conference. "But the guidance is really consistent with our two pronged approach."
Steinberg touted the city's 41% reduction in unsheltered homelessness from 2022 to 2024.
"The governor's executive order to me is a prod. He's saying, 'I want better results,'" Steinberg said.
He acknowledged there are limited resources, and stressed the need for increasing capacity for shelters and services.
"We cannot allow these encampments to grow and to continue and, at the same time, if we are not equally passionate and equally committed to adding more beds, adding more housing and services, what happens when you take down people's tents, they still are going to be walking around the neighborhoods," he said.
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper supports the governor's move.
"I think it's great. It's great for Californians and I think, being in local law enforcement, people are fed up. They're compassionate with the homeless, but they want responsibility and accountability," he said.
ABC10 asked if the order will change his agencies' response to homelessness.
"For us, no, for the past year, we've been doing that. We don't have any large encampments in the unincorporated areas of Sacramento. We went out and enforced the law and that was a big thing. We don't do sweeps," Cooper said.
He also said there are some challenges with solving the issue.
"If someone wants help, we don't want to help them, what we found in our over 700 contacts is most folks don't want help and some of the big issues are mental health and substance abuse. Until we really treat those, it's not going to get a lot better," Cooper said.
He said he hopes to see other agencies take action.
In a statement to ABC10, the California State Sheriffs’ Association said in part, "Cleaning up encampments is necessary to improve public safety and protect a community's quality of life. It will be important that implementation of the Governor's executive order compliment local efforts." You can read the full statement below.
Sacramento spokesperson Tim Swanson said in a statement, "The City of Sacramento has reviewed Gov. Newsom’s executive order and believes our current enforcement protocols are in alignment with his direction to local jurisdictions. The City will continue to offer a balanced and compassionate response to the homelessness crisis by providing intensive outreach to unsheltered individuals while also enforcing our laws and ordinances."
California State Sheriffs’ Association Statement:
Several months ago, CSSA filed an amicus brief in support of the City of Grants Pass' successful attempt to overturn the Martin v. Boise decision. In reversing the Martin decision, the Supreme Court recognized the complexity of the issues surrounding homelessness and acknowledged the importance of local solutions to address these issues more effectively. Ultimately, each local jurisdiction must determine the right solutions for their unique homelessness issues. This is best accomplished with the use of multiple tools and resources, including enforcement actions against those who habitually violate the law.
