California announces task force to reduce homeless encampments in big cities
After the Labor Day weekend, welcome back to the A.M. Alert. I’m Amelia Wu, the Bee’s state workers intern.
With the start of college football season, here’s a fun fact for you: Two of California’s representatives were college tight ends. David Tangipa, R-Clovis, played for the Fresno State Bulldogs, and Avelino Valencia, D-Anaheim, played at San Jose State.
SWEEPING HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS
A new task force to address homeless encampments is prioritizing California’s 10 most populous cities. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the Statewide Alliance for Encampment task force, or SAFE, to prioritize the removal of homelessness encampments from state-owned land.
The effort will include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Long Beach, Anaheim, Bakersfield, and Fresno.
“No one should live in a dangerous or unsanitary encampment, and we will continue our ongoing work to ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home,” Newsom said in a statement.
The task force includes expertise and programs focusing on emergency management, social services and substance use support. For the next 30 days, the task force’s focus is on encampment operations.
For encampments on the state’s rights-of-way, Caltrans is part of the effort to ensure safety and public access. Since July 2021, the agency removed more than 18,000 encampments along the state right-of-way, according to Newsom.
In 2024, Newsom signed an executive order to clear encampments using a state-tested model that involved offering housing and giving adequate notice.
While efforts are ramping up, the Governor is reporting results of reduced homelessness in these cities. According to point-in-time data released in July, Los Angeles County showed a 4% decrease in total homelessness, reducing unsheltered homelessness by 9.5%.
NEWSOM APPROVAL IN 2028
Gov. Gavin Newsom leads in a hypothetical 2028 Democratic presidential primary, receiving a 13-point increase since June, according to a new national poll of 1,000 active voters conducted by Emerson College.
While Newsom received an increase across key demographic groups, he’s the only potential candidate to see an increase in approval compared to Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris.
According to the poll, the surge can largely be attributed to an increase in support among younger voters, ages 18 to 29.
Meanwhile, over half of Republican voters support Vice President JD Vance, according to the poll. In a hypothetical matchup between Vance and Newsom, the two candidates are tied with 44% support with 12% undecided.
The poll also asked about California’s congressional redistricting, with 44% approving. When asked about Texas redistricting, 46% said they think it’s a good idea.
“Support for redistricting looks similar overall for Texas and California, but the partisan swings tell a different story…” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
Kimball’s data indicates that 77% of Republicans in Texas support redistricting, compared to 44% in California. Conversely, 52% of Democrats in California back redistricting, while only 21% do so in Texas.
AMERICORPS MONEY SAVED
AmeriCorps will receive $184 million after surviving a funding cut threat from the White House Office of Management and Budget. Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the amended lawsuit he filed in July saved $11.5 million for California.
“AmeriCorps volunteers represent the best of who we are as a country,” Bonta said in a statement. “The Trump Administration’s senseless attack on AmeriCorps programs, which directly support communities across our state and nation, is just one part of its broader effort to dismantle our government and defund the programs and services it provides.”
California was part of a group of 24 states that sued the Trump administration after the AmeriCorps’ funds were frozen. The plans would’ve eliminated 90% of AmeriCorps’ workforce and close $400 million of AmeriCorps-supported programs.
When a response from the Trump administration was due in court on Thursday, OMB agreed to release the funds.
The community service federal agency places volunteers in local and national organizations to address community needs. In 2024, AmeriCorps invested more than $133 million in federal funding in California.
“But California will not stop holding this administration accountable,” Bonta said in a statement. “We’re continuing to fight for — and win — full relief for Californians.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Now, 800K drivers have a seat at the table to fight for fair wages & better working conditions.”
— Buffy Wicks, an author of AB 1340 that allows rideshare drivers to unionize
Read more on drivers for unionization from Nicole Nixon and Stephen Hobbs.
Best of The Bee:
- CA legislators grill Cal-OSHA chief over recent audit findings, via Joe Rubin
- Meet the CalPERS 2025 board candidates for the upcoming election, via William Melhado and Amelia Wu
- When the A’s came to town, what happened to Sacramento’s other baseball team? via Annika Merrilees
Missed the Q&A on California’s redistricting with Nicole Nixon and Lia Russell last week? Watch them on the Bee’s website.