CV NEWS FEED // The Catholic bishops of California have responded to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for cities to clear homeless encampments, asking him to treat those experiencing homelessness with dignity and respect.
“Our unhoused brothers and sisters must be treated with respect in keeping with their human dignity,” the bishops wrote in their July 29 statement, continuing: “It is a tragedy that people live in roadside encampments. It is a tragedy that mental health and substance abuse needs are not met.”
The bishops wrote that they “urge, in the strongest terms, the dignified and respectful removal of homeless encampments and concurrently desire that the unhoused who are being displaced are shepherded into the mental health or housing programs that Gov. Newsom has championed.”
On July 25, Newsom ordered state agencies to “urgently address homeless encampments while respecting the dignity and safety of Californians experiencing homelessness.” He included that this measure meant that before the authorities disbanded the encampments, they must notify the people living in them in advance.
The California Department of Transportation will also store the personal property at the encampments for at least 60 days while the inhabitants find new homes.
According to Newsom’s letter, his $24 billion investment in state agencies to relieve homelessness helped 165,000 people move into interim or permanent housing last year.
