California Governor Gavin Newsom will make the announcement on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 in San Mateo, California. As pressure mounts to address California's growing homelessness crisis, Newsom announced his administration is making $3.3 billion available to counties ahead of schedule. And private developers will begin building more behavioral health treatment centers as part of an effort to fund housing and substance use programs. (AP Photo/Haven Daily)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Amid growing pressure to address California's growing homelessness crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday ordered counties and private developers to begin building more behavioral health centers ahead of schedule. announced that it would provide $3.3 billion. As part of efforts to fund housing and substance use programs.
This is the first round of funding from a ballot measure aimed at helping cities, counties, tribes and developers build and renovate treatment centers and clinics. Voters narrowly passed the measure in March after Newsom poured all his political weight into it and touted it as a cornerstone of the state's efforts to reduce homelessness.
The bill would authorize the state to borrow nearly $6.4 billion to build 4,350 housing units and require each county to deduct two-thirds of millionaire taxes from housing, severe mental illness and drug-related illnesses. Requires money to go toward programs for homeless people with abuse problems. Applications for funding will open in July.
Newsom stood in front of an ongoing construction project Tuesday to create 117 new psychiatric beds near Redwood City and said he wants local governments to build it as soon as possible.
“It's time to do your job. It's time to get things done,” Newsom said. “You asked for these reforms, so we delivered them. Now it’s time for delivery.” –
The Democratic governor, who is a top surrogate for President Joe Biden's re-election campaign and is widely believed to harbor the president's own ambitions, has made homelessness a political priority and vowed to transform the state's mental health system. Ta. Homelessness has become one of California's most frustrating problems, and while the Newsom administration has spent billions of dollars to get people off the streets, there has been no dramatic change in Los Angeles or other large cities. There wasn't.
California accounts for nearly one-third of the U.S. homeless population. Approximately 171,000 Californians are in need of housing. The state currently has 5,500 behavioral health beds, but needs about 8,000 more to treat mental health and addiction issues.
The grants announced by Newsom could fund a wide range of programs, including short-term crisis facilities, addiction programs, outpatient services and locked treatment beds. States will evaluate projects based on local service gaps.
“Voluntary treatment is always best, but sometimes we need a little more,” state Sen. Susan Eggman, who authored the bill that became part of the ballot measure, said of the possibility of funding going toward locked treatment beds. ” he said. “Don't say no. Let me tell you how.”
Social service providers and some county officials say the new millionaire tax funding structure will focus not only on housing and drug treatment, but also on programs that prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. They opposed the proposal because they feared it would threaten them. Disability rights advocates also worried that the new investment would mean more people would be locked up against their will.
Administration officials have previously said the state will streamline the application process as much as possible, but said there are no set requirements for when proposed projects must be completed. Officials said some plans, including plans to renovate existing facilities, could open within months. Newsom said the state would approve the proposal in the fall, allowing funding to be distributed to local governments by early next year.
San Mateo County Executive Mark Callagy said the bond funds will allow the county to move more quickly to provide needed services.
“This allows us to dream bigger,” he said.
Newsom pushed for new legislation last year to make it easier to force treatment for people with mental health and addiction issues, even though the state has given most counties a December deadline to begin. On Tuesday, he criticized counties that have not yet implemented the program. Do your best. Eight counties implemented the initiative last year and received 450 applications in the past six months, according to the governor's office.
“The state's vision will be realized at the local level,” Newsom said. “We can't do that job. They need to do their job.”
The state also plans to make bond financing available for housing by the end of this year. The funding, totaling nearly $2 billion, will help expand existing state housing programs, including a $3.5 billion effort to convert blighted motels into homeless housing.
Tran Nguyen, Associated Press
