CALIFORNIA—Governor Gavin Newsom composed a letter to President Donald Trump on Monday, September 16, to make an additional 50,000 housing vouchers available through the two existing housing programs which are presently in place.
The housing voucher would be increased in value to calculate higher-priced rent in counties and cities of Los Angeles.
“We can all agree that homelessness is a national crisis decades in the making that demands action at every level of government – local, state, and federal. In California, state and local governments have ramped up action to lift families out of poverty by investing in behavioral health, affordable housing, and other homeless programs,” the letter reads. “In contrast, your Administration has proposed significant cuts to public housing and programs like the Community Development Block Grant.”
President Donald Trump requested that his staff establish a policy option to address the homelessness crisis after the members of the Trump Administration visited Los Angeles last week touring city streets witnessing homeless people camping on streets, and other areas throughout the city.
Governor Newsom’s first budget provides $1 billion to assist cities and counties fight homelessness, expedited review and approval for navigation centers and emergency shelters to help cities get people off the street faster, and provides $20 million in legal aid to help renters facing eviction.
Newsom has taken action to address homelessness in California, including:
-Establishing a Homeless and Supportive Housing Advisory Task Force to consult with local and regional governments around the state to assess best practices and strategies relating to prevention, diversion and intervention, as well as guiding local governments as they develop joint regional plans to address homelessness
-Deploying over $500 million in “No Place Like Home” program bonds, to fund permanent supportive housing and services for individuals with mental illness that are homeless or at risk of homelessness
