A homeless encampment at a California state beach was cleared by officials on Thursday, following a directive from Governor Gavin Newsom to address the issue of people sleeping in public spaces.
Accompanied by county workers and local law enforcement, bright yellow trash trucks made their way onto the sandy shores of Dockweiler State Beach, situated behind the bustling Los Angeles International Airport.
The LA City Councilmember Traci Park collaborated with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to orchestrate the operation. Although the beach falls under California’s state park system, the county is responsible for its maintenance and lifeguard services, while the city takes charge of policing duties.
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Park’s office did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.
Earlier this summer, Governor Newsom took a bold step by issuing an executive order for state agencies to commence the removal of homeless encampments on public land. This move comes after a Supreme Court ruling permitted cities to enforce bans on individuals sleeping outside. While Governor Newsom encouraged cities and counties to follow suit, it is important to note that they are not legally obligated to do so.
In August, he issued a warning to cities and counties that are not adequately addressing the issue of encampments, stating that he may withdraw state funding. During this time, he was seen actively participating with California Department of Transportation workers in clearing out trash from these areas.
Under Governor Newsom’s guidance, California has allocated around $24 billion towards addressing the homelessness crisis. This includes providing grants of at least $3.2 billion to Los Angeles county and city to construct shelters, remove encampments, and ensure that homeless individuals have access to essential services. Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of these efforts in improving the living conditions of the homeless population.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA County officials are opposing the governor’s approach, arguing that criminalizing homelessness or merely removing encampments without providing services or shelter is ineffective. At the beginning of the year, there were over 75,000 homeless individuals in Los Angeles County on any given night, but the county only has approximately 23,000 emergency shelter beds available.
James Kingston, 63, was evicted from the encampment on Thursday. He shared that he chose to live at the beach due to the opportunity it presented for collecting cans and bottles over the weekends to earn some extra money.
He, like many others, remained unaffected by the clean-up crew as he had experienced this several times during his six years of homelessness. Some individuals left as soon as the police arrived, while others observed as officials cordoned off their tents. They had received a notice shortly before the clean-up that it would take place.
According to Kingston, when it comes to moving, you should focus on grabbing your essential belongings and be willing to let go of everything else. In her words, “You just grab your important stuff and everything else has got to go. You just got to let it go because that’s how it is.”
This story has been updated to correct that Newsom worked alongside California Department of Transportation workers. It should also be clarified that the county and city of Los Angeles have been given $3.2 billion in grants to build shelters, clear encampments, and connect homeless people to services.
