Incentives offered to cities and counties to “meet this moment head-on”
A day after meeting with officials from cities across California on the front lines of the homelessness crisis, Governor Gavin Newsom today highlighted the 286 state-owned properties available to local governments to use for homelessness solutions. The Governor called on local leaders to review the sites available in their regions and invited officials to work with the state to develop housing and shelter proposals that help move people off the streets. The state is offering local governments $1 leases on state owned-property, and the $650 million in State Emergency Homeless Aid can be used to build out sites.
“As a former mayor I get that localism is determinative and that all levels of government must work together to get Californians off the street and into housing and supportive services,” said Governor Newsom. “The state is stepping up by making land available to cities and counties willing to meet this moment head-on. I invite local leaders to use this land on what works for their community’s homeless needs so that we can begin to make meaningful progress to help individuals experiencing homelessness.”
The Governor announced the release of these properties as part of his State of the State address Wednesday. They include vacant lots, fairgrounds, armories and other state buildings – and were identified as part of the Governor’s executive orderrequiring state agencies to take urgent action to make state properties and facilities available to rapidly increase housing and shelter options. The Department of General Services has developed an interactive map of the available properties, which will continue to be updated as it works with local governments on the suitability of parcels for temporary shelter.
In his State of the State address, Governor Newsom called on all levels of government to step up their efforts to combat the homelessness crisis, and laid out his Administration’s five-part approach – reducing street homelessness quickly and humanely through emergency actions, a laser focus on getting the mentally ill out of tents and into treatment, providing stable funding to get sustainable results, tackling the underproduction of affordable housing in California, and doing all of this with real accountability and consequences.
Following his State of the State address, the Governor will travel the state meeting with service providers and homeless individuals and hearing directly from Californians about his Administration’s homelessness response. He kicked off this tour in Yountville yesterday, where he met with over 50 leaders at the League of California Cities meeting, outlining his vision and inviting partnerships.
The Governor has released the full $650 million in State Emergency Homeless Aid and issued a challenge for cities and counties to partner with the state on immediate impact solutions to tackle homelessness. On the heels of his proposed budget featuring more than $1 billion to fight homelessness, and executive order on homelessness, Governor Newsom last month traveled to San Diego, Oakland, Grass Valley, Riverside, Los Angeles and Fresno, participating in a local point-in-time count and meeting with staff and residents at shelters, a board and care home, and a crisis stabilization center.
