Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Legislation To Tackle Homelessness
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a string of new laws Wednesday directed at tackling the state's ongoing homeless crisis. Among the big changes - one of the laws will give the state more power over how cities and counties spend funds to solve homelessness.
Newsom, alongside Mayor Eric Garcetti and other city and county leaders, promised billions of dollars in aid.
"This new agency that we organized, now has the authority and power to sign off on $2 billion of discretionary money to cities and counties," Newsom said.
The governor says local municipalities will have to meet certain goals if the state is going to dole out more funding.
"There ar
e six specific measurable goals that must be achieved," Newsom said.
The seven new laws signed by Newsom include part of a $22 billion investment to fight homelessness, 84,000 affordable homes, and 44,000 new housing units including treatment beds.
"We can't nibble around the edges of the homelessness crisis, we need to implement bold, transformative solutions -- investing more money than ever before to get folks off the street and provide the mental health and other services they need to stay off the streets," Newsom said. "Today's legislation, along with our overall $22 billion housing affordability and homelessness package, will move the needle on creating more housing for the homeless and will allow us to tackle the homelessness crisis in ways California has never done."
Reverend Andy Bales is the President and CEO of the Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row. Bales has been pushing state and local leaders to take a more urgent approach to the homeless crisis.
"The very expensive, slow to develop housing that eventually comes in let's say up to four years. We need a FEMA-like response - an immediate shelter. An immediate shelter over people's heads," Bales said.
Bales believes tiny homes, mobile homes and container homes could all be options.
"I'm glad to see that they at least mentioned mental health - but addiction recovery is not mentioned nearly enough. And that is one of the big issues of homelessness - and that is addiction recover," Bales said.
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