Newsom’s SAFE Task Force: A New Approach to Encampments in Long Beach
The struggle to combat homelessness in California took a tangible step forward last week when Governor Gavin Newsom’s SAFE Task Force partnered with Long Beach officials to address a persistent encampment near the State Route 91 and I-710 Interchange. The outcome was immediate: 25 individuals and 8 pets were moved from hazardous outdoor conditions into a newly opened, state-funded Homekey shelter. This operation not only cleared a site fraught with safety risks for both inhabitants and the public, but also demonstrated a more coordinated and humane approach to a decades-old crisis.
What Is the SAFE Task Force and Why Does It Matter?
Established in August 2025, the State Action for Facilitation on Encampments (SAFE) Task Force brings together state agencies, local governments, and nonprofits to tackle encampments in California’s ten largest cities. Unlike traditional sweeps that often displace people without support, SAFE’s strategy is rooted in collaboration and service provision. The Long Beach operation was conducted with local partners, including PATH homeless services and the City of Long Beach, reflecting an ethos of compassion and practicality. According to Newsom, “There’s nothing humane about letting people languish outdoors without shelter or support. We’ve been leaning in with unprecedented state help—real resources for our cities and counties—to turn this national homelessness crisis around and to get people the care they need.” (Governor of California)
Mayor Rex Richardson echoed this sentiment, noting the significance of a coordinated, cross-jurisdictional response: “Every person in Long Beach deserves safety, stability, and a real path forward. For too long, our neighbors living along the riverbed have faced dangerous conditions that have been difficult to address because they span multiple jurisdictions.” (CBS News)
The Operation: Moving People, Not Just Clearing Space
In the weeks leading up to the clean-up, outreach teams engaged encampment residents with offers of shelter and supportive services, including health care. The result was more than just a physical transformation of the site—Caltrans crews removed approximately 150 tons of debris and hazardous materials over three days—but a personal one for those relocated. Steve, one of the residents, described the shelter as having “saved my life.”
The shelter itself is part of the Homekey program, an initiative launched in 2019 to rapidly house people experiencing homelessness by converting existing buildings into interim or permanent housing. The newly opened Long Beach Homekey site, which started welcoming residents on October 29, offers not only a roof but access to long-term support and stability. Across California, the Homekey program has funded 261 projects, creating nearly 16,000 homes and aiming to serve over 175,000 people over the lifetime of these developments.
Progress and Challenges: California’s Numbers Tell a Complex Story
California’s homelessness crisis has been decades in the making, but the Newsom administration claims real progress. In 2024, unsheltered homelessness in the state increased by only 3%, compared to a national rise of over 18%. Some states—Florida, Texas, New York, Illinois—saw much steeper increases. Last year, California limited its growth of unsheltered homelessness to just 0.45%, a stark contrast to the nearly 7% national increase. Notably, the state achieved the largest reduction in veteran homelessness and made strides in reducing youth homelessness.
These numbers, however, only partially capture the human reality behind the statistics. The SAFE Task Force has now cleared encampments in major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Fresno, and San Diego, with more operations planned. Since 2021, Caltrans has removed over 19,000 encampments and collected approximately 354,000 cubic yards of litter and debris from state property. Yet, for every encampment cleared and every person sheltered, the underlying challenge remains: how to create permanent, affordable housing, and how to provide services that help people stabilize and thrive.
Collaboration as a Cornerstone
The Long Beach operation stands out not just for its logistics, but for its tone. Instead of punitive measures or forced removals, the focus was on outreach, dialogue, and choice. Tomiquia Moss, Business, Consumer Services and Housing Secretary, emphasized that “housing stability is a critical first step to address and end homelessness,” and credited strong local partnerships for making the effort possible. Kim Johnson, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, described the SAFE Task Force as “a powerful example” of California’s evolving behavioral health system, showing the impact of a unified commitment to helping people recover and thrive.
By working across jurisdictions and with local organizations, the operation exemplified what can be achieved when state and city agencies align their resources and intentions. The cleanup of the encampment was the result of weeks of outreach and service coordination, not just a one-off enforcement action.
Looking Ahead: Is California Turning the Tide?
Governor Newsom’s administration continues to frame homelessness as a top priority, leveraging policy changes, funding, and accountability measures. Last year, Newsom even threatened to pull state funding from cities and counties that failed to address dangerous encampments. The numbers suggest California is making headway compared to other states, but the crisis persists. Newsom’s approach—combining urgency with compassion and cross-agency coordination—may be setting a new standard, but scaling these efforts statewide will test the resilience and adaptability of California’s systems.
For those who found shelter in Long Beach, the change is immediate and profound. For the state, the challenge is ongoing. Each operation like this one is a step—a visible, measurable moment in a much longer journey.
Assessment: The Long Beach encampment operation is a microcosm of California’s broader homelessness response under Gavin Newsom. While the SAFE Task Force’s success in moving 25 people and 8 pets into shelter is significant, the true measure of progress will be in sustaining these outcomes and replicating them statewide. California’s approach is showing results where others falter, but the scale and complexity of homelessness demand ongoing innovation and collaboration.