Governor’s model ordinance urges local crackdowns amid rising voter pressure and 2028 White House speculation

California Governor Gavin Newsom ramped up his campaign against homelessness on Monday, urging cities across the state to ban street encampments using a new state-issued policy template. While he stopped short of threatening funding cuts for noncompliance, his message was clear: the tolerance of sprawling tent cities is over.

“It’s not humane to let the status quo continue,” Newsom said during a Sacramento press conference. “Tents and encampments—it simply cannot continue.”

The model ordinance released by the governor closely mirrors San Diego’s 2023 policy that outlawed encampments on sidewalks and public property, a move that city leaders say halved their downtown homeless population within a year. In May 2023, the area counted 2,104 unsheltered residents. By April 2025, that number dropped to 902, according to the Downtown San Diego Partnership.

This latest move from Newsom follows his July 2024 executive order mandating state agencies clear camps from government property and “strongly urging” cities to follow suit. Monday’s policy release marks a significant escalation—one that some see as aligning with national ambitions ahead of a likely 2028 presidential run.

Although the governor insisted he’s not tying state funds to cities’ adoption of the policy “yet,” he framed it as a strong suggestion. “This is a preview of expectations moving forward,” he said.

Local leaders were quick to react. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who has clashed with the state over encampments on Caltrans-owned land, welcomed the guidance. “This aligns with our understanding here in San Diego that enforcement, paired with shelter opportunities and services, is essential to helping people off the streets and into care,” he said.

Gloria has become increasingly vocal about the state’s failure to clear homeless camps from Caltrans property. His frustration boiled over earlier this year in his State of the City speech, where he revealed the city receives roughly 300 calls a month about such encampments. Though he stopped short of criticising Newsom directly on Monday, Gloria is co-sponsoring a new bill with state Senator Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) aimed at forcing Caltrans to act or grant local governments the power to intervene.

“The state needs to do better in preventing and removing encampments from land that the state has control over,” Blakespear said in a press release.

Despite ongoing tensions between city and state authorities, Newsom’s Monday announcement was interpreted by some observers as a political pivot that capitalises on growing public support for tougher homelessness enforcement. The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last year in Johnson v. Grants Pass opened the door for cities to legally restrict public camping, as long as alternative shelter is available.

Critics argue that banning encampments without scaling up accessible housing and services only displaces people, further criminalising poverty. But Newsom insisted his approach balances enforcement with compassion. The state has invested over $20 billion in homelessness programmes since 2020, including motel conversions and mental health support. Still, California’s homeless population remains the largest in the nation, exceeding 180,000 as of 2023.

The governor’s office did not say how many cities it expects to adopt the model ordinance or whether future funding would be conditioned on compliance. However, his remarks clearly laid the groundwork for potential mandates.

While critics remain sceptical, Newsom’s allies see the new policy as a necessary push to bring order to a crisis spiralling out of control in many communities.

“This is leadership,” Gloria said. “It gives cities the backing we need to take action.”