Newsom puts on gloves to personally help clean up LA County homeless camp

Newsom helps clear LA County homeless camp

California Gov. Gavin Newsom got his hands dirty, helping clean out a homeless encampment in Mission Hills.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - California Governor Gavin Newsom was in Los Angeles County Thursday helping state workers clean up a homeless camp in Mission Hills.

"A lot of stuff we do you don’t [physically] see the results," said Newsom. "It’s nice to see the before and after. You feel like at least you accomplished something at the end of the day."

Two weeks ago, Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to remove homeless encampments. Newsom told FOX 11 on Thursday that he’d like to city-local leaders out helping clear encampments.

"Every single day until we turn this around," said Newsom. "Where’s their urgency? They’re doing good work; I’m not saying anything about that. They’re making progress, but not at the scale [equal to] the urgency of the crisis."

On Thursday, 11 homeless people were removed from the property Newsom helped clean. The governor’s press team says they were offered services.

Newsom fed up, cleans up homeless encampment himself

Governor Gavin Newsom isn’t holding back, calling out L.A. County’s leadership for a lack of urgency in tackling homelessness and clearing encampments. LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger joins FOX 11 to respond.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and other local leaders, have expressed their opposition to Newsom’s recent executive order arguing removing makeshift shelters criminalizes the homeless without fixing the issue.

"No one wants to see criminalization," said Newsom. "That’s a lazy framework [on the issue]. That’s people who just don’t want to do the job."

The Governor on Thursday implied city and counties who resist the executive order, or don’t work urgently work to solve the issue, could lose some state funds.

"Folks may choose not to do anything," said Newsom. "Here’s what I get to decide, and it’s a preview, an expectation if that’s the result, I’m going to redirect the money. It’s not complicated."