Newsom's New Statewide Encampment Taskforce Ramps Up Operations in San Francisco | KQED

""We're taking the comprehensive steps that we need to take, not just clearing encampments," he said, but rather, "a wraparound approach to addressing this issue that is likely one of the biggest challenges in front of the state. Since July 2021, Caltrans has removed more than 18,000 encampments along the state rights-of-way, filling nearly 12,000 garbage trucks with unhoused people's discarded belongings.""

""Rather than being primarily led by Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol, Omishakin said leaders from the state's department of health and housing were also at the table. "All the key agencies are at the table every single day," he said. The task force will focus first on the state's 10 largest cities. Already, the state had secured agreements to allow workers onto city property with San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego and was working on another with San José.""

""It's part of a larger effort to address homelessness across California that Omishakin said is beginning to pay dividends. At last count, more than 187,000 people were homeless on a given night in California, according to federal data, but the rate of growth has been slowing. The number of people sleeping outside was nearly unchanged from 2023 to 2024, Omishakin noted, compared to a nearly 7% increase nationwide.""

California's SAFE Taskforce is pursuing a wraparound approach to homelessness that pairs encampment removals with health, housing and law enforcement coordination. Since July 2021 Caltrans removed more than 18,000 encampments and collected nearly 12,000 garbage truckloads of discarded belongings. The task force will initially concentrate on the state's ten largest cities, with agreements in place for San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego and talks with San José. Outreach teams engage individuals directly: of 18 people contacted in a recent operation, 12 spoke with staff, five were already sheltered, seven were offered shelter and one accepted. Outreach continues daily across state, city and county partners.

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