Fact check: Did California remove homeless people ahead of special events?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, California has indeed been removing homeless people from encampments, though the sources don't specifically address removals ahead of special events. The evidence shows a systematic crackdown on homeless encampments across California cities:

• Cities like San Francisco, San Diego, and Fresno have been conducting frequent encampment sweeps, often with little warning and arresting people for sleeping outside ^[1]
• These sweeps became more aggressive following the U.S. Supreme Court's Grants Pass decision, which allows cities to ban homeless encampments even when no shelter beds are available ^{[1] [2]}
• Governor Gavin Newsom has actively promoted this approach by releasing a model ordinance for cities and counties to address "unhealthy and dangerous encampments" ^[3] and calling for cities to adopt ordinances banning certain homeless encampments ^[4]
• Cities have been relocating displaced individuals to sanctioned encampments or hotels rather than simply dispersing them ^[2]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several important contextual elements revealed in the analyses:

• The legal framework changed significantly - The Supreme Court's Grants Pass decision fundamentally altered cities' authority to clear encampments, making these actions legally permissible even without adequate shelter alternatives ^{[1] [2]}
• Health experts and advocates strongly oppose these measures - Critics argue that encampment bans damage the health and well-being of homeless individuals and set them back in finding stable housing ^{[5] [4]}
• There are legal challenges to these practices - A federal court case in Vallejo resulted in a judge stopping the city from dismantling a homeless woman's shelter, setting a precedent that cities' power to clear encampments is not absolute ^[6]
• The policy extends beyond removals - Newsom's approach includes requiring cities to force homeless individuals to move camp every 3 days ^[4]
• Increased state accountability measures - California has implemented tracking requirements for cities and counties spending state homelessness dollars ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question, while not containing explicit misinformation, presents a narrow framing that could be misleading:

• The focus on "special events" suggests targeted, temporary removals when the evidence shows this is part of a broader, systematic policy shift affecting homeless populations year-round ^{[7] [8] [1]}
• The question implies this might be unusual behavior when the analyses reveal it's part of an official state-endorsed strategy promoted by Governor Newsom himself ^{[3] [4]}
• The framing could minimize the scope and impact - Rather than isolated event-driven actions, this represents a fundamental policy change affecting thousands of homeless Californians across multiple cities ^{[1] [2]}

The question would benefit from acknowledging that these removals are part of California's official homelessness response strategy rather than suggesting they might be ad hoc measures for special occasions.