New California Bill Calls For $2 Billion To Fight Homelessness

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- State and local leaders are requesting $2 billion in funding to combat homelessness.

Mayor Eric Garcetti says the state has a surplus, so the money is available.

Assembly Bill 3300 would appropriate $2 billion, beginning with the 2020-21 fiscal year and each following fiscal year, to provide grant funds to address homelessness challenges, including affordable housing, rental assistance and other services.

$1.1 billion would be distributed to counties and continuums of care, which are planning bodies that coordinate services that fund individuals who are experiencing homelessness.

$800 million would be distributed to cities with a population of at least 300,000.

The remaining $100,000 would go to nonprofit housing developers specifically for purposes related to housing provision.

As of January 2019, California had an estimated 151,278 people who were experiencing homeless on any given day, according to the Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In Los Angeles County, that number is 58,936, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's 2019 homeless count.