California’s
State Action for Facilitation on Encampments (SAFE) Task Force brings
together expertise and programs from across state agencies to target
encampments, with a particular focus on emergency management, social
services, health care, substance use support, resource and land
management, and public safety. Working together with local governments
to provide shelter and social services, the SAFE Task Force will
prioritize encampments on state rights-of-way in California’s ten
largest cities and assist in finding suitable shelter options for
individuals residing there. Dismantling dangerous encampmentsThis
announcement builds on the Governor’s broader effort to address the
homelessness and housing crises affecting the entire nation and reverse
a problem that has been decades in the making. Governor Newsom has set
a strong expectation for all local governments to address encampments in their communities and help connect people with support. In 2024, Governor Newsom filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to recognize the need for state and local authority to clear encampments.
After the Supreme Court issued a ruling that removed legal ambiguities
that had tied the hands of state and local officials, Governor Newsom
issued an executive order directing
state entities and urging local governments to clear encampments using
a state-tested model to address encampments humanely, offer housing,
and provide people with adequate notice and support. A strong strategy that works Governor
Newsom is creating a structural and foundational model that will have
positive impacts for generations to come by streamlining and
prioritizing building of new housing, funding new shelters, housing,
and supports, holding local governments accountable, addressing mental health and its impact on homelessness through voter-approved Proposition 1, and creating new pathways for those who need it most through updated conservatorship laws and a new CARE court system. SAFE task forceToday’s
announcement brings these strategies together by establishing the
statewide SAFE Taskforce. California’s SAFE task force brings together
state agencies responsible for delivering key components of the
Governor’s strategies to ensure that local communities have the support
they need to quickly and humanely clear encampments, connect people
with housing and care, and prevent repopulation. Unlike
the haphazard strategies employed by the Trump Administration,
California’s SAFE Task Force brings together each of the tools created
by Governor Newsom to clear encampments and connect people with the
care they need. The task force is made up of the following state
agencies and departments, who will provide appropriate support: California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES): Responsible for logistical coordination and procurement, ensuring the efficient deployment of resources. Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH): This
agency, including through its Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD), will continue to be instrumental in administering
and overseeing housing and homeless grant funding that can be used for
these efforts, and providing connections to housing solutions and
supportive service providers. California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH): Offering
vital guidance to local government facilitating homeless outreach
coordinating supportive services, and facilitating collaboration with
local agencies. California Health and Human Services (CalHHS): Supporting
and monitoring locally-provided comprehensive health care and
behavioral health support, including critical substance use treatment
facilitated through Proposition 1 funding. California Highway Patrol (CHP): Providing essential public safety support during encampment operations and monitoring cleared encampment locations. California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA): Directly
responsible for the immediate clearance of encampments located on state
rights-of-way, ensuring safety and public access. Since July 2021,
Caltrans has removed more than 18,000 encampments along the state
right-of-way and collected approximately 334,440 cubic yards of litter
and debris — the equivalent of filling 11,950 garbage trucks.
Upcoming encampment operationsTogether
with local partners, the Task Force will focus on encampment operations
throughout the state within the next 30 days. The task force will work
in a unified way across state government to clear highly visible and
unsafe encampments on state property while expanding access to housing,
shelter, mental health, and substance use services. Locations
identified include areas with large encampments and high-priority
encampments on state rights-of-way in California’s ten most populous
cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, San
Jose, Long Beach, Anaheim, Bakersfield, and Fresno.A strong partnership in San Francisco This
week, Caltrans reached a new agreement with the City of San Francisco
that improves coordination on state right-of-ways. This Delegated
Maintenance Agreement (DMA) will help the city address sites quickly
and work with local partners who are equipped to offer services and
housing to people experiencing homelessness.
Kicking
off this agreement, in just the first two days, Caltrans and its city
partners cleared encampments on state right-of-way at Cesar Chavez
Junction and 13th and Van Ness, connecting 12 individuals with social
services and shelter, and collecting roughly 90 cubic yards of unsafe
and unsanitary waste and debris. |
Riechel
Reports - Events
- City
of San Bruno CA
