In September 2021, the governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state had prioritized 100 high-profile encampment sites on state lands for clearance. One year later, California has cleared an average of 100 homeless encampments per month with a total of 1,262 sites cleared, removing 1,213 tons of trash, enough to fill 22 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
To highlight successful statewide efforts, Governor Newsom joined Caltrans cleanup efforts at an encampment on I-10 in Los Angeles last Thursday, however, he had already attended the cleanup of others in the past 12 months.
"Leaving people on the streets and our highways is dangerous and inhumane. It is unacceptable," said Governor Newsom. "California is investing billions of dollars to house thousands of people and clean up our communities and streets. Our efforts are a model for the nation and, most importantly, we are getting people off the streets and into the housing and services they deserve."
Until three years ago, California lacked money, coordination and accountability to address the state's homeless crisis, the state said in a statement.
Thus, over the past 36 months, California has invested $14.7 billion for homelessness with a coordinated statewide approach that focuses on resolving encampments and housing through the Homekey program.
The State has provided housing or shelter to more than 67,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic and 55,000 housing units have been or are in the process of being implemented.
The budget Governor Newsom signed earlier this year includes $700 million for encampment resolution grants with $350 million earmarked to help those living on state right-of-way property.
Some of the 1262 camps closed by Caltrans during the past 12 months include:
Bay Area: In May, Caltrans closed a campground along State Route 77 near the High Street off-ramp in Oakland, collecting 1,600 cubic yards of trash, the most of any campground in the state. In the nine Bay Area counties, Caltrans closed 283 campsites and collected more than 14,668 cubic yards of trash.
Los Angeles: In April, Caltrans closed an encampment along Interstate 105 near the Central Avenue off-ramp, collecting 1,250 cubic yards of trash, the most of any encampment in Southern California. In addition, it closed 321 encampments and collected more than 33,546 cubic yards of trash in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
San Diego: Caltrans closed 281 campsites and collected more than 2,678 cubic yards of trash in San Diego and Imperial counties.
Central Coast: The transportation agency closed 161 encampments and collected more than 6,672 cubic yards of trash in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. This includes one encampment the department closed along Highway 1 near the Ocean Street access road in Santa Cruz, where more than 1,000 cubic yards of trash was collected.
Sacramento and Central Valley: Closed 121 encampments and collected more than 11,192 cubic yards of trash throughout the Central Valley between Butte County in the north and Kern County in the south. This includes 40 encampments in Sacramento County where the department collected a total of more than 3,078 cubic yards of trash.
North Coast: Caltrans closed 56 campsites and collected more than 1,176 cubic yards of trash in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino and Lake counties.
In Orange County, it closed 22 camps and collected more than 1,721 cubic yards of garbage.
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