Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton announced in San Diego today that he would work to eliminate every homeless encampment across the state by the end of 2027.
Hilton’s proposal centers on creating a statewide system of Homeless Recovery Centers. His campaign said the Sunbreak Ranch project in San Diego County would serve as the model for the planned facilities.
The centers would offer shelter beds, food, showers, health services, substance-abuse treatment, psychiatric support and employment training. Campaign officials said each resident would be paired with a caseworker or other designated advocate to help secure permanent housing, with ongoing services available when needed.
“No one is going to get their life back on track on the streets,” Hilton said. “We are going to get people off the streets and into a place where they can actually get help.”
According to Hilton, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2025 count identified 181,934 homeless people in California, including 115,583 who lacked shelter. He also cited nearly $24 billion in state spending on homelessness and housing in recent years, while noting that the state auditor found California had not consistently tracked how the money was spent or whether programs produced results.
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Hilton said he would meet with mayors and county officials during his first month in office to establish publicly monitored deadlines for removing encampments. Under his timeline, local governments would face a Labor Day 2027 target, followed by a statewide deadline of Dec. 31, 2027, to clear every encampment.
He also proposed declaring a homelessness emergency to streamline permitting, enforcing public camping restrictions once adequate shelter options are available, and reviewing homelessness expenditures through an initiative called Operation Zero Waste. The goal, his campaign said, would be to move funding away from programs that are not delivering results.
Hilton said the state would intervene if local officials failed to meet the deadlines. “Leaving people to deteriorate in tents is a disgrace,” he said.
“By the end of 2027, every encampment will be cleared, and Californians will have their sidewalks and parks back.”
Representatives for Hilton’s opponent, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.