California Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a new homeless response task force Friday, marking the latest escalation in his ongoing campaign to eradicate encampments.
Newsom’s office expects to deploy the team within the next month to camps in California’s 10 largest cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Long Beach, Anaheim, Bakersfield and Fresno. It will address encampments on state property, such as along highway medians or on and off ramps, and under overpasses.
The news comes as Newsom in recent months has pushed for more enforcement against all encampments that line city streets and sidewalks, dot public parks and wind along waterways throughout the state. In May, he urged cities to make it illegal to camp in one place for more than three nights