Since July, Caltrans has removed over 650 homeless camps from state highways

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The California Department of Transportation announced it has removed more than 650 homeless encampments located on state highways since July 1.

“In the interest of public safety, Caltrans continues to remove encampments located on the State Highway System throughout the Golden State,” Caltrans said in a post on X. “Since July of this year, many of the nearly 3,300 people affected were offered outreach services by our partners.”

• The video above by Nexstar Media Wire explains how much California spends to combat homelessness.

In addition, the department said crews have collected nearly 7,500 cubic yards of debris — enough to fill roughly 175 shipping containers.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in July of 2024, directing state agencies and departments, including Caltrans, to address homeless encampments across the Golden State.

On Friday, Newsom announced the creation of a new task force aimed at clearing homeless encampments on state-owned property while also connecting homeless individuals with shelter, health care and substance use services.

The group, called the State Action for Facilitation on Encampments (SAFE) Task Force, will coordinate efforts across multiple state agencies, including Caltrans, California Highway Patrol and others.

The task force will mainly focus on encampments in the 10 largest California cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Long Beach, Anaheim, Bakersfield and Fresno.