Prior rulings by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals have left few and fragmented options for local governments to confront the homelessness crisis. California’s elected officials have found themselves embroiled in years-long lawsuits, blocking even the most common-sense efforts to clear encampments that pose health and safety concerns, without direction on what they can and cannot do to make spaces occupied by unhoused people safer for those within and near them.
The Governor has consistently called for clarity from the courts and previously filed a separate amicus brief requesting the United States Supreme Court to hear this case. California is investing $1 billion as part of the state’s Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF). These dollars are specifically earmarked to help move individuals experiencing homelessness out of dangerous encampments and into shelter and housing.
