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Mayor Karen Bass discusses strategies on the homelessness crisis in Sacramento. | Photo courtesy of MayorOfLA/Twitter
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined the California Big City Mayors for meetings with Gov. Gavin Newsom and key legislators Wednesday to seek more homeless funding for the state’s Homekey program and mental health and substance abuse beds.
“This is the number one crisis we are facing in California,” Bass said during a news conference in Sacramento. “The only way we will solve it is by acting together with locked arms, as we say in Los Angeles, to bring folks inside for good.”
Bass said no mayor can “work alone” to face the homelessness crisis, and that’s why recent state investments and partnerships have been so critical.
“While this year’s state budget must be difficult, the need for housing interventions and services must remain a top priority,” Bass said. “We need to ensure additional funding in this budget to make an even bigger impact.”
The California Big City Mayors, a coalition of mayors of the state’s 13 most populous cities, issued a letter to Newsom and state legislators last Thursday, one day before he released a revised budget proposal for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
In the letter, the coalition insisted the homeless crisis continues to be its No. 1 priority, and the need to address homelessness should be reflected through the state’s budget.
“For this reason, we respectfully request — as our top budget priority — continuing and sustaining HHAP (Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention) funding with direct allocations for big cities, with a minimum allocation of $2 billion per year in FY 23-24, 24-25 and 25-26 for a total of $6 billion,” the letter read.
As Newsom’s administration and legislators develop policy to address homelessness, the coalition proposed a framework to aid in that effort, including flexibility in the use of state funding; permanent funding; focused goals; release of HHAP bonus funding; prioritizing increased bed capacity; quicker disbursement of funding; land use waivers; stabilizing annual allocations; and lastly, focusing funding where need is greatest.
In addition, the coalition requested $1.5 billion for Homekey to ensure all applications in round three are funded.
Newsom released his “May Revise” Friday in which he announced a $32 billion deficit in the state’s proposed budget for 2023-24 fiscal year, up from the $22.5 billion shortfall that was projected in his proposed January budget.
Newsom indicated spending reductions and pullbacks would be necessary to ensure a balanced budget. In terms of funding for homeless projects and cleaning up encampments, he said “we are not backing away” and his proposed budget would commit $3.7 billion to do so.
In his May Revise, $1 billion in one-time funding from the General Fund would be used for HHAP and focus on “reducing unsheltered homelessness,” including prioritizing spending on Homekey operating sustainability and Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Act housing supports.
According to his office, Newsom has invested $15.3 billion overall to address the homelessness crisis, including $3 billion for flexible aid to local government; $3 billion for Homekey; $2.2 billion for behavior health infrastructure; $1.5 billion for behavioral health bridge housing; $860 million for community care expansion; $750 million for encampment clean up grants; and $262 million for Project Roomkey.
Bass met with state legislators throughout the day and discussed funding and ongoing efforts to address homelessness, among other priorities.
The trip is Bass’ first since May 4 when she flew to Chicago to appear at the 22nd annual “Ultimate Women’s Power Lunch,” a major Democratic fundraiser in Illinois hosted by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, where she gave advice to Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson.
Bass was scheduled to return to Los Angeles Wednesday evening, according to a spokeswoman.
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