With television cameras whirring and traffic rumbling on the San Fernando Valley’s busy freeways, Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened Thursday to withhold state funding from counties that don’t show improvements in the homelessness problem.
“If we don’t see clear results, then I would start redirecting funds,” Newsom said.
“It’s a sincerely held belief that we need the help of local government. This is a crisis. Let’s admit it.”
The Democratic governor’s unbridled frustration with the lack of progress on her top issue — homelessness — is nothing new, Nor has there been any warning about taking away money from reluctant counties. As he approaches the halfway point of his second and final term, Newsom is using his soapbox as governor to ramp up public pressure and place blame on local leaders for California’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Los Angeles County, in particular, has become a frequent target of Newsom’s ire. The governor criticized the county again on Thursday Delay in implementation of law This has expanded the criteria for detaining people against their will.
Caltrans workers are cleaning up another part of the homeless camp near Paxton and Remick.
(Jason Armand/Los Angeles Times)
His visit to Pacoima was followed by His calls for the removal of homeless camps also went largely unheeded Last month in Los Angeles, where elected officials criticized the order, or said it did not change their policy views. The governor’s executive order requires his administration to remove encroachments on state property and urges cities and counties to do the same.
Mayor Karen Bass said that “strategies that move people from one neighborhood to another or issue citations instead of housing do not work.” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath said the county is already pursuing “urgent and humane encampment solutions.”
Two weeks later, Newsom arrived wearing a T-shirt, aviator sunglasses and a baseball cap with a California Department of Transportation crew to clean up camps near an entrance to the 5 Freeway in Pacoima. The governor said he signed the executive order with “intent.”
“People can’t choose to do anything different,” Newsom said Thursday. “This is a decision that can be made. Here’s what I can decide. … If this is the outcome, I’m going to redirect the money. It’s not complicated and I’m going to send it to people who actually want to get the job done.”
The governor and experts agree that the homelessness crisis has been going on for decades, but opinions differ on whether Newsom’s more conservative policy approach and finger-pointing will help solve the problem. A lack of affordable housing, low wages and a high cost of living are at the core of a problem that’s exacerbated by mental health challenges and drug abuse.
“If it’s not the most important issue, you’re not paying attention,” the governor said of homelessness.
(Jason Armand/Los Angeles Times)
The Newsom administration has spent more than $24 billion to clear encampments, move Californians off streets and sidewalks, and convert hotels and motels into temporary shelters, among dozens of other homelessness initiatives. The state has increased spending flexibility for local governments and given cities and counties more power to force Californians into treatment under programs like Care Court and the expansion of guardianship.
Proposition 1, Newsom’s ballot measure that voters narrowly approved in March, is expected to provide more than $6 billion for 10,000 treatment and housing beds and expand care for drug addiction.
But Newsom’s policy approach to the camps and forced care has become a point of contention between the governor and advocates for the homeless, aligning him more with conservatives than progressives in his own party. The governor argues he has done his job and given cities and counties more money, tools and authority to address the problem than they requested.
“There’s no excuse now,” Newsom said. “You have the money. You have the flexibility. You’ve got the green light. You’ve got the support from the state and the public is demanding this of you, and if it’s not the most important issue, you’re not paying attention. This is the biggest stain on the reputation of the state of California.”
In June, Newsom praised A US Supreme Court decision allowed Grants Pass, Oregon to enact a law Which banned camping in public places, while the city did not have adequate shelter for the people living in the camps.
Academics and homeless advocates called Newsom’s encampment order, which followed that decision, a response to political pressure that could make the problem worse rather than offer solutions to help California’s most vulnerable residents.
“People can’t just disappear on their own,” said Margot Kuschel, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco and director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. “There’s no easy way out of this. I feel deep compassion for everybody’s frustration. I’m frustrated. I want this problem to go away. I understand it’s unacceptable, but I think when you’re in the hole, you should stop digging.”
Kuschel and others said California’s fundamental problem is a lack of affordable housing. Kuschel said the Newsom administration has spent a lot of money on the homelessness problem, but the state still isn’t building enough housing as the need continues to grow.
The state audit also found that California has failed to monitor the effectiveness of its costly homelessness programsThat raised questions about whether Newsom’s efforts are worth the price tag, as the state grapples with a budget deficit. The governor has also pushed for more accountability over how local governments use state money.
The state budget passed in July broadens state responsibilities Housing Accountability Unit A separate bill to add oversight of state homeless grants to cities and counties and add more staff positions for this work, Assembly Bill 3093The bill aims to require local governments to plan to build housing for all income levels, including homeless populations.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan praised Newsom for his focus on improving accountability.
State transport teams participate in the clean-up work.
(Jason Armand/Los Angeles Times)
Mahan said developing more affordable housing is extremely important, but it takes too much time and costs too much to solve the problem immediately. San Jose has focused on using state and federal funding to provide interim and transitional housing communities with “a step up from the streets.”
Last month, Newsom notified San Diego County that the state intends to withdraw a $10 million grant to build 150 small units and redirect the money to San Jose due to a lack of action.
Mahan said he supports the idea of a statewide framework with set goals and specific targets for local governments to provide shelter and treatment for their homeless residents.
“I think it takes us out of that fantasy world where we thought if we had $100 billion more we could prioritize the solutions that would work,” Mahan said.
