Gov. Gavin Newsom urges California cities and counties to ban homeless encampments

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday urged California cities to clear homeless encampments, escalating efforts anew to address the makeshift tents that line underpasses, parks and streets up and down the state.

The Democratic governor unveiled a blueprint for a camping ban for cities and counties to follow in announcing more than $3 billion in grants for facilities to treat homeless people and others who struggle with mental health and substance use disorders.

He used the occasion to exhort cities and counties once again to use the money and policy changes provided by the state to do their part to help eradicate the disturbing street conditions that have come to define much of California

“No more excuses,” he said at a news conference, adding, “It is time to take back the streets. It’s time to take back the sidewalks. It’s time to take these encampments and provide alternatives.”

Newsom, a former mayor of San Francisco, made homelessness a priority upon taking office in 2019, tackling statewide a problem long the purview of mayors and local officials. He has pressed on local leaders to think bigger to battle what has become one of the most pressing public health and safety issues in California — and one sure to dog Newsom if he runs for national office.

He appears to be the first Democratic governor to offer a statewide blueprint for local encampment bans. California has more than 187,000 people in need of housing, a quarter of the U.S. homeless population.

Last year the U.S. Supreme Court made it easier for officials to ban homeless people from camping outside. Many Democratic leaders welcomed the ruling though advocates for homeless people criticized the conservative court's decision as cruel.

Newsom's model ordinance includes prohibitions on “persistent camping” in one location and encampments blocking sidewalks. It asks cities and counties to provide notice and make every reasonable effort to identify and offer shelter before clearing an encampment.

Major cities have already started cracking down on encampments.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie pledged to clean up city sidewalks while San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has proposed arrests if a person refuses shelter three times. Both Democrat-led cities have ramped up the number of shelter beds available.

In Los Angeles, Democratic Mayor Karen Bass has made clearing encampments a priority but sagging tents, makeshift shelters and rusting RVs remain a common sight in nearly every neighborhood. An annual tally last year estimated that more than 45,000 homeless people were living in the city.

In a Los Angeles neighborhood Monday, Jay Joshua oversaw a small encampment of about half a dozen tents where he lives. Joshua said he cleans the area daily because of a school nearby. He said encampments can be a safe space for those living there.

“It helps certain people build their lives back,” he said.

Critics say punitive bans make it even harder for homeless people to find stable housing and employment.

“My immediate reaction was that this is a distraction from a state budget that isn’t likely to have funding for housing and homelessness,” said Alex Visotzky with the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Organizations representing California's cities and counties have balked at the implication that they are to blame, and say they need sustained funding.

“Clearing encampments may be the most visible part of this crisis, but without addressing the underlying root causes of homelessness, the cycle will only repeat itself,” said Carolyn Coleman, executive director and CEO of the League of California Cities.

She said that eight in 10 cities have policies to address encampments.

The California State Association of Counties said the state has not provided as much money to address homelessness as it says it has and that half of the money has gone to housing developers.

Housing and homeless advocates have applauded Newsom for pushing cities and counties to build more housing, especially for the unhoused.

He also pushed a voter-approved measure last year for more treatment beds for homeless people with serious mental illnesses or substance abuse problems, so they don't wind up back in jail or on the streets still in need.

But in spite of the money spent, California has had a hard time delivering visible results. A state audit last year found that the state spent $24 billion on more more than 30 homeless and housing programs between 2018 and 2023 to tackle homelessness, but lacked the data to fully understand what worked and what didn't.

Associated Press staffers Christopher Weber, Michael R. Blood and Damian Dovarganes in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

An earlier version of this report incorrectly said California makes up nearly one third of homeless people in the U.S., instead of a quarter.

Scott Robertson Serge eats lunch in a homeless encampment where he currently lives, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Jay Joshua cleans up around a homeless encampment where he currently lives, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Tents are set up in a homeless encampment Monday, May 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A person sleeps on a sidewalk, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Two people are cited for drinking in public at a homeless encampment, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A pedestrian walks past trash left outside a bin near a homeless encampment, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A man carries a mattress into a tent set up on a sidewalk, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Tents are set up along a freeway in a homeless encampment Monday, May 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

FILE - A tarp covers a portion of a homeless person's tent on a bridge overlooking the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles, Feb. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - A man walks past a homeless encampment in downtown Los Angeles, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)