Frustrated by the lack of progress on homelessness in California, Governor Gavin Newsom is calling for increased oversight of cities and counties that receive money from the state to hold them accountable for delivering results.
Newsom’s more aggressive stance is the latest example of how the governor wants local governments to do more to reduce homelessness, despite spending more than $20 billion in state funds on programs to help over the past five years. It has deteriorated during his tenure. He threatened Thursday to withhold funding for homelessness from cities and counties that do not comply.
Newsom said, “I’m not interested in funding failure anymore.” “I want to see results. Everyone wants to see results.”
The governor’s plan seeks to expand a unit created in 2021 within the Department of Housing and Community Development to enforce local compliance with state housing law. The result of the unit’s work is Atty. General Rob Bonta is filing suit against the cities, like huntington beachFor refusing to build an adequate house.
This proposal will expand responsibilities Housing Accountability Unit This includes monitoring state homeless grants to cities and counties and whether local governments follow their plans to reduce the unhoused population and follow state laws. Through the state budget process, the proposal seeks to transfer about two dozen staff members to the unit to focus on local homelessness monitoring and enforcement.
“Local governments have told us they have plans to reduce unsheltered homelessness,” said Jason Elliott, Newsom’s deputy chief of staff. “He’s written it down, and he’s signed on the dotted line. “This reform is about making sure those promises are kept.”
Newsom also wants lawmakers to pass legislation that, starting in 2027, would require jurisdiction over housing for the homeless population and give the state another opportunity to hold local governments accountable for reducing homelessness.
“These changes really create a path for jurisdictions to be responsive to that lower income group,” said Tomikiya Moss, secretary of the Agency for Business, Consumer Services and Housing. “Zero to 30% of the area median income, which is a lot of people who don’t have housing, has no need for housing.”
Newsom’s plan is likely to draw support from advocates for the homeless and concerns among some local governments about enforcement. His effort to punish cities and counties for not approving enough housing has been successful A mixed bag of reactions over the yearsWhich also includes concerns about the state infringing on the rights of local government.
The effort is as follows a report From the California State Auditor’s Office who found the Newsom administration Failed to track and evaluate the effectiveness of the billions of dollars spent on its own programs, Elliott said the state does not have enough data to determine the efficiency of its homeless programs and added, “We’re not really getting information from local governments about whether they’re following through on their obligations.” ”
Expanding accountability, Elliott said, would hold local governments responsible for delivering solutions and tracking performance in exchange for billions of state funding.
The proposal marks a new effort by Newsom to address homelessness, a dangerous problem linked to California’s housing shortage, high cost of living as well as drug abuse and mental health crises. At last count, the state’s homeless population stood at 181,000.
Newsom has highlighted homelessness as the top policy priority of his governorship, and in doing so, has also made the issue his greatest political vulnerability. Fox News and conservative politicians repeatedly portrayed the image of camps built on California sidewalks as an example of his failures as governor and a rebuke of Democratic leadership.
The Governor is well aware of the criticism. At a news conference Thursday to promote state funding to address the encampments, Newsom said he felt the burden of California’s “478 cities and 58 counties” on homelessness.
While praising some local leaders for making progress in their communities, the governor said others could be punished if the entity finds they did not properly spend state homelessness funds.
Newsom said, “They’re convinced that if they don’t use the money wisely they shouldn’t get another penny.” “So, I want to make sure that Tomikiya and his team who are scoring these look at those next applications and say, ‘No, thank you.’ “I don’t think it’s a very complex response either.”
Newsom has repeatedly criticized local governments for not taking a more aggressive approach to addressing homelessness and mental health needs in their communities as he seeks to protect his own interests by taking a more liberal approach to the problem than any other policy issue. Competes with the progressives in the party.
Eager to make progress, the Governor successfully lobbied for a change in the law to allow people with serious mental illness and substance use disorders to seek care. He recently mentioned narrow passage proposal 1His March ballot measure to boost mental health funding and treatment beds is an example of voters feeling cynical about the idea that more money will solve the problem.
Newsom said California needs more mayors who “get the job done” and “don’t play politics.”
“We now really mean business in terms of increasing accountability because it is fundamental to the fate and future of this state,” Newsom said. “I care about this state. I care about our reputation. I care that people can’t afford to live here, can’t raise their families here. I care that people come here and say ‘What’s going on with the camps?’ and ‘What’s going on on the roads and footpaths?’
