Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday evening on Newsmax that his state’s “policies and neglect” are to blame for the high homelessness rate.

Homelessness has been a pervasive issue in California for several years, with Newsom recently issuing an executive order to approve the removal of homeless encampments. Despite billions already having been spent on the issue, Newsom told “The Record with Greta Van Susteren” that the problem stems from the state’s own policies that have prevented enough housing from being built.

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“I mean, because of our own policies and neglect, we put up our feet. We rested on our laurels. We allowed nimbyism to dominate in our state. We’re not building — it’s econ 101, supply and demand. We simply have not been building enough housing for decades and decades and decades. So the cost of living, affordability, has been the dominant challenge in our state,” Newsom said.

The California governor continued to call out Republican-led states, such as Florida, claiming they have also suffered a “huge spike in homelessness” due to both housing and insurance costs.

“That said, I will say, having traveled across the United States, the issue of housing and homelessness is becoming more and more dominant. Red states, not just blue states, we’re down,” Newsom continued. “You saw the new numbers last year in places like Florida that had a huge spike in homelessness. The housing costs, insurance costs across the board and states like Florida are increasingly challenging.”

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“So it’s not surprising to me that in the economic plan that Kamala Harris put out, she talked about affordability and housing. Not just from the prism of being a former Californian as it relates to her time served in the state, but as the vice president — understanding the United States and its challenges,” Newsom said.

California accounts for roughly 30% of all homeless people in America, according to U.S. News and World Report, citing 2023 estimates of the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress.

In early April, the state auditor revealed that the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH), responsible for coordinating and evaluating the state’s efforts to reduce homelessness, “has not consistently tracked and evaluated” the issue. The lapse from the ICH has left California without “current information on the ongoing costs and outcomes of its homelessness programs,” according to the auditor’s report.

With Newsom attempting to clean up homelessness in the state, his new executive order will require agencies to give a 48-hour notice to vacate when “no exigent circumstances exist,” when addressing encampments.

“This executive order directs state agencies to move urgently to address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them — and provides guidance for cities and counties to do the same,” Newsom said at the time of the executive order. “The state has been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets. There are simply no more excuses. It’s time for everyone to do their part.”

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