Homeless

Gov. Newsom in State of the State Speech Pledges Emergency, Effective Action Against the “Shame” of Homelessness

Published

4 years ago

February 20, 2020

Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged to mobilize the full power of his administration to alleviate the state’s growing homelessness crisis in his annual State of the State speech to a joint session of the Legislature Wednesday.

He said that people in California are fed up with political leaders who ignore the stark reality in front of our eyes. “No amount of progress can camouflage the most pernicious crisis in our midst, the ultimate manifestation of poverty: homelessness.”

“Let’s call it what it is, disgrace, that the richest state in the richest nation – succeeding in so many sectors — is failing to properly house, heal and humanely treat so many of its own people. As Californians, we pride ourselves on our unwavering sense of compassion and justice for humankind — but there’s nothing compassionate about allowing fellow Californians to live on the streets, huddled in cars or makeshift encampments.”

He said that “servants of the public (have been) too busy pointing fingers to step up and help. That’s shameful.”

Newsom pointed that some parts of the community, particularly communities of color, have been “hit much harder” than others, pointing out that African Americans make up 8 percent of the Los Angeles population but 42 percent of the homeless. A recent poll found that almost half of Latinos in California fear that they or a family member “could become homeless,” he said.

Last month, the governor issued an Executive Order deploying emergency mobile housing trailers and services for homeless families and seniors. The first trailers were sent to Oakland and Los Angeles County.

He announced he is making 286 state properties — “vacant lots, fairgrounds, armories and other state buildings” — available to local governments for homeless solutions.

The state has been able to move more quickly than usual because “we established a Strike Team across many agencies…to break through bureaucratic barriers… We are also pushing for new models of homeless housing – like hotel/motel conversions and prefab and tiny homes – and as we do, we’ll cut the red tape to get to ‘yes’ on these innovative approaches.”

He said he would work with others to generate revenue to develop solutions. “In the coming months, I pledge to work closely with you to identify this ongoing revenue to provide the safer, cleaner streets our communities deserve…With (a) first-in-the-nation statewide housing fund, we can braid together state and philanthropic dollars, as well as health care, mental health, and social services — paying for housing, not overhead, by capping all administrative costs at 10 percent.”

“We need more housing, not more delays,” he said. “This is our cause. This is our calling.”

Local mayors supported the governor’s approach, according to a report on KPIX Channel 5.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed released a statement: “I was glad to hear the governor’s support of ongoing resources for everything from navigation centers to affordable housing, which will help San Francisco continue the progress we’re making in helping our unhoused residents off the street and into shelter and services.”

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf tweeted, “This is California’s biggest crisis. It crosses all jurisdictional boundaries and will take the entire region working together to solve it.”

Oakland housing rights activist James Vann of the Homeless Advocacy Working Group (HAWG) said, “The governor’s speech was creative, bringing up many ideas and innovative solutions. However, he should take an approach of involving the people affected by homelessness in developing the solutions, which would alleviate the impact of wasteful and inefficient expenditures that take place at the local level — such as Oakland’s tuff sheds, which help only a handful of individuals at a tremendous in operation and administration.”

Ken Epstein

Posts by Ken Epstein

Related Topics:Gavin Newsom Homelessness California

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Alameda County

An Oakland Homeless Shelter Is Showing How a Housing and Healthcare First Approach Can Work: Part 1

Hundreds of tents and abandoned vehicles now dot major streets and neighborhoods of the Bay Area. Unfortunately, this problem is expected to worsen as the housing market skyrockets and the cost of living becomes unattainable for most Americans.

Published

6 mins ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Oak Days shelter, once a Days Hotel, resides in the Hegenberger corridor of Oakland. It is used as a temporary home to 60 residents who have experienced chronic homelessness or are medically vulnerable. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.

By Magaly Muñoz

As one of California’s biggest public policy challenges, over the past four years, the state has allocated nearly $20 billion to housing and homelessness initiatives. Despite this substantial investment, the issue does not seem to be easing. Instead, the number of people without stable housing is surging.

A 2022 Point In Time (PIT) Count showed that there were 9,747 homeless individuals living on the streets in Alameda County, an almost 22% increase from the 2019 count of 8,022 homeless individuals. Many reports estimate that this number will rise once the 2024 data is released.

Amongst the many initiatives to end homelessness, the 2016 Senate Bill 1380 established California as a “housing first” state that would provide assistance, programs and funding to those experiencing homelessness. The bill recognized that the evidence-based model of prioritizing housing could end all types of homelessness and is the most effective approach to ending chronic homelessness.

In the years following the passage of the law, doctors, county officials and a community organization came together to create a first of its kind shelter to combat homelessness with housing and healthcare: the Oak Days shelter. Located in the Hegenberger corridor of Oakland, this facility, once a Days Hotel, now houses 60 individuals, some who are medically fragile.

As local counties navigated how to isolate people during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the state obtained federal funding to begin Project Roomkey, an initiative providing non-congregate shelter options, such as hotels and motels for people experiencing homelessness, to protect life and minimize strain on the healthcare system.

Dr. Alexis Chettiar, a medical director in Alameda County, witnessed firsthand how the coronavirus disease took over the lives of the most vulnerable populations who were too sick to remain stable unless they had hands-on supportive health care and permanent housing.

She also noticed a trend of medically vulnerable individuals with psychiatric illnesses or substance abuse issues being expelled from nursing homes, often ending up in encampments or unsheltered conditions.

This observation would inspire her, along with fellow medical director Catherine Hayes, to start Cardea Health, supported by county funding.

“What we really wanted to do was to be able to layer on the medical services to a permanent supportive housing environment so that people could age in place, they could stay there, no matter how their care needs change over time. They could stay there through the end of their life,” Chettiar said.

Cardea Health provides medical and personal care for almost 60 patients across two sites. One of these sites is an Old Comfort Inn that was also transformed into a shelter for those experiencing homelessness and chronic illnesses. The medical team assists with tasks such as injecting insulin, administering dialysis, helping patients use the restroom or get dressed.

Chettiar shared that she’s seen people as young as 40 years old with health-related issues mimicking that of an 80-year-old. Some individuals had untreated wounds that led to infections or chronic illnesses that went untreated for years, leading to immense suffering before they were able to receive medical attention.

The harsh conditions of living on the streets have exacerbated what could’ve been manageable situations, into a full-blown health crisis that ultimately put them on the priority list for Cardea’s health assistance.

UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative conducted a survey of 3,200 people to study who is experiencing homelessness, how they became homeless, what their experiences are and what is preventing them from exiting homelessness.

Data from those surveys showed that 45% of those experiencing homelessness reported poor or fair health and 60% reported having a chronic illness. Participants also reported that being homeless worsened their physical and mental health.

Of those experiencing health problems, 23% couldn’t access necessary healthcare in the prior six months. Additionally, 38% visited emergency departments without hospitalization and 21% reported a hospitalization for a physical health concern.

Chettiar stated that the work at Cardea is intended to reduce hospital visits for those living on the streets, providing essential care where it’s needed most.

Oakland Post

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California Black Media

Audit: California Is Poorly Monitoring Homelessness Spending

California has failed to monitor state spending and evaluate the outcomes of homelessness programs, according to a report issued last week by the California State Auditor’s Office. California State Auditor Grant Parks urged Governor Gavin Newsom to continue to hold local governments accountable in an open letter dated April 9. The audit highlighted that tracking programs and collecting accurate data could help the state save money.

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2024

Oakland Post

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By California Black Media

California has failed to monitor state spending and evaluate the outcomes of homelessness programs, according to a report issued last week by the California State Auditor’s Office.

California State Auditor Grant Parks urged Governor Gavin Newsom to continue to hold local governments accountable in an open letter dated April 9. The audit highlighted that tracking programs and collecting accurate data could help the state save money.

“The state must do more to assess the cost-effectiveness of its homelessness programs,” Parks said.

The report showed that California spent approximately $20 billion on programs and initiatives addressing homelessness in the past five years. Although state funds were allocated to fund shelters and subsidized rent, homelessness in the state increased by 65 during the last year.

In 2021, Gov. Newsom signed a law that required organizations that received state funds to collect data and evaluate the progress of programs they implement.

California auditors revealed that only two out of five action plans were cost-effective. One was Project Homekey, which converted hotels into housing during COVID-19, and CalWORKS, a housing support that offered financial assistance to low-income residents.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed concern after the report was released.

“The biggest conclusion that the auditors came back with is there’s just inadequate transparency and data and information available,” said Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) in a statement.

Republican Sen. Roger Niello (R-Roseville) said, “These audit results are a wake-up call for a shift towards solutions that prioritize self-sufficiency and cost-effectiveness.”