SAN DIEGO — New grant money could soon be utilized to help counties like San Diego. It's an additional $299 million that has been set aside for state roads.
With the growing number of people experiencing homelessness, Governor Gavin Newsom said this is crucial.
"We've got to move, people are counting on us," Newsom said. "The public has had it, they're fed up, I'm fed up, we're all fed up."
Gov. Newsom, along with Caltrans, are the ones launching this new effort to clear homeless encampments
"It's a safety risk for them, for the infrastructure, for our staff, for first responders and potentially for the traveling public and that's why we remove encampments," Alisa Bercerra from Caltrans said. "And with these grants we hope that people sheltering on the state rightaway are moved into housing, that they're given keys, keys to their future, to life, to hope."
The state has approved spending that will go towards helping people off the streets. The governor said this new round of funding is expected to get at least 10,000 people off the streets.
The money will be distributed as grants to local cities and counties.
The areas that qualify for the new encampment enforcement efforts are "any piece of land being used for transportation purposes."
That includes bike paths, park and ride areas, and highways. However, homeless advocates said that many people living under bridges and freeways are looking for relief from the weather.
Cities and counties have until June of next year or until the grant money runs out to apply.