NORTHSTATE, California — California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken a tougher stance on homelessness, issuing an executive order on July 25 calling on state authorities to promptly and with dignity care for homeless encampments in their communities.
The governor also said in a recent press conference that counties need to be held more accountable. This comes after more than $67 billion has been spent on homelessness and affordable housing since Newsom took office in 2019.
Many of the homeless funds have not been tracked and very limited results have been recorded. In a recent social media post, Newsom is seen cleaning up an encampment and said in a press conference that he plans to cut off state funding to counties that do not support his vision. Governor Newsom said:
“Any county that wants to work with us and move forward with a sense of urgency and has a proven ability to deliver results, we will double our support. Any county that is not interested in doing that and clings to hackneyed arguments from the ’80s and ’90s, we will stop funding.”
Shasta County 1st District Supervisor Kevin Crye has been concerned about the homeless problem since he ran for office. The Supreme Court ruled last month that local governments can now begin banning homeless encampments, prompting Crye to discuss what the county should do to address the problem.
“I mean, it’s great to see common sense coming out of Sacramento because we’re not really used to that. After many years and wasting many billions of dollars of taxpayer money, we’re finally getting back to things that make sense. And I think it’s important that we actually have to be accountable. This shouldn’t be anything new — but it’s coming out of the governor’s office.”
Crye has scheduled meetings with Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson and Shasta County Superior Court Executive Melissa Fowler Bradley to discuss next steps. He invited District Attorney Stephanie Bridgette, but she was unable to attend.
We’ve worked to really find the root causes of crime in our counties… law enforcement, our jails and areas where improvement is possible.”
He also says the majority of the homeless in District 1 live in the Redding area. The city of Redding and Shasta County are different jurisdictions, but Crye says he has spoken with police officers and staff from both counties about treatment, rehabilitation, prosecution and housing options for those who operate illegal encampments.
Governor Newsom last week approved $130 million to create “housing for homeless families,” also known as public housing. This will fund nine areas of the state, including the Bay Area cities of Merced, Richmond, San Francisco and Sebastopol, and counties such as Orange, Riverside, San Mateo, Kern and Sacramento. Shasta County was not included in that list. Crye believes there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing homelessness and that more than just housing is needed to address the root of the problem.
He says he has seen the most results in Shasta County with programs like Visions of the Cross, the New Life Rescue Mission and the New Life Discovery program. He noted that faith-based and work-based programs have been successful.
Crye also says law enforcement has done a very good job of holding people accountable in a humane way.
“I’m happy to say that the efforts of the Redding Police Department are beginning to bear fruit, and I think they’re doing so in a humane way… because at the end of the day, nobody wants to see their residents living in encampments without running water.”
The supervisor also says he has developed more understanding and compassion for people with addiction problems. He has started to learn more about the psychology behind it and wants people to advocate for the treatment they need. At the same time, he still believes that responsibility is the first step to a better life.
Crye says he has witnessed many lives being changed through local programs and will attend the Good News Rescue Mission’s graduation ceremony Friday night. Ultimately, he is proud of the work Shasta County is doing with its budget and staff.
