Counties are now required to spend about two-thirds of the money from a tax enacted in 2004 on housing and programs for the homeless with serious mental illnesses or substance abuse problems.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in support of Proposition 1, a $6.38 billion bond ballot measure, during a news conference at the Los Angeles General Medical Center in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.
The state accounts for nearly a third of the homeless population in the United States; roughly 181,000 Californians are in need of housing.Newsom, who made the measure a signature proposal, spent significant time and money campaigning on its behalf. He raised more than $13 million to promote it with the support of law enforcement, first responders, hospitals and mayors of major cities. Opponents raised just $1,000.
Opponents, including social service providers and county officials, said the change will threaten programs that are not solely focused on housing or drug treatment but keep people from becoming homeless in the first place. Newsom touted the proposition as the final piece in his plan to reform California's mental health system. He has already pushed for laws that make it easier to force people with behavioral health issues into treatment.
Katherine Wolf, a doctoral student at the University of California, Berkeley, said she voted 'no' on the measure out of concerns it would result in more people being locked up against their will. "Sacramento really shouldn't get another dime until they actually figure out why what they're doing is not working," he said of the state's handling of the homelessness crisis."They spent $20 billion over the past few years trying to fix that problem and it got worse."
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California voters pass proposition requiring counties to spend on programs to tackle homelessnessCalifornia voters have passed a measure that will impose strict requirements on counties to spend on housing and drug treatment programs to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis.
Read more »
California voters pass proposition requiring counties to spend on programs to tackle homelessnessCalifornia voters have approved a measure that Gov. Gavin Newson says he needs to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis.
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California voters pass proposition requiring counties to spend on programs to tackle homelessnessCalifornia voters have approved a measure that Gov. Gavin Newson says he needs to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis
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California voters pass proposition requiring counties to spend on programs to tackle homelessnessCalifornia voters have approved a measure that Gov. Gavin Newson says he needs to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis.
Read more »