California takes action to tackle homelessness

By SDCN Editor

Sacramento, CA–Governor Gavin Newsom Tuesday announced multiple new efforts to address homelessness and provided an update on the state’s work to deliver more than 1,200 small homes to communities throughout California.

The announcements advance the administration’s multipronged and multi-billion dollar approach to addressing the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness, including moving people in need of assistance off the streets and into housing. 

Administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), this latest $179.7 million in grants for Homekey will create 710 units through nine developments in Fresno, Los Angeles, Modesto, Sacramento, San Buenaventura, San Diego, and Visalia.

This announcement builds upon a $736 million investment to address homelessness statewide through the acquisition and construction of interim and permanent homeless housing. With this additional round of funding, total Homekey units have expanded to 13,484 homes throughout the state.

Additionally, the largest delivery of small homes in state history continues to gain momentum. Since an announcement earlier this year by Newsom to purchase 1,200 small homes, the administration has made significant progress in working with local governments to deliver these units throughout the state.

The state and our local partners have moved quickly to select site locations, request bids, sign contracts and pass trailer bill legislation to advance these projects by giving the California Department of General Services contracting and streamlining flexibility. In July, Newsom signed a trailer bill cutting red tape on procurement and construction for these small homes. And just this month, the administration is finalizing a contract for the state and locals to purchase these small homes – a contract available for these 1,200 units but also available as a template for any other local government in California that wants to use their own funds to buy these housing solutions.

“Here in San Jose, we’re doing our part to end the era of encampments, but our bold action at the city level would not be possible without support from the governor who is making a historic investment in what is, without doubt, the largest, most inhumane crisis we face today. We are on track and moving full-speed ahead,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said.

“Gov. Newsom’s office has been working closely with the city and county of Sacramento to build a tiny home village on Stockton Boulevard that will be a model for the rest of the state,” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. “Residents will be embedded in a community wellness campus specializing in substance abuse disorder treatment and mental health care. This combination of housing and assertive treatment is the recipe for helping our unhoused neighbors and providing relief to our neighborhoods.”

In July, the Legislature approved, and the governor signed into law, trailer bill legislation allowing more flexibility by the state to streamline this effort and get units on the ground faster. 

Sacramento continues to move forward with the selection of two locations: Cal Expo in Sacramento and the newly announced Wellspace on Stockton Blvd.   

San Jose has selected and approved a location in partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority to provide land for all 200 of their small homes.  

The state has advanced a procurement process for both the state and local jurisdictions that saves time and cuts red tape to speed up a process that is often time-consuming and costly.   

The state has moved quickly to complete contracts to execute the purchase of small homes. Purchases could begin as early as the end of October.   

With the support of their local partners, the state anticipates the first groundbreaking to take place before the end of the year.