Newsom announces $200M in homeless funding for cities, counties

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced nearly $200 million to reduce homelessness.

The governor also said new measures are coming that will bolster the oversight of state homelessness funds in an effort to ensure accountability by cities and counties.

“This new funding will get people out of tents and into housing across California,” Newsom said in a statement. “As the state provides unprecedented resources like this, we also expect accountability. Local governments must ensure this funding is being utilized on the ground.”

The awards, totaling approximately $192 million, are part of the state’s Encampment Resolution Fund grants overseen by the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, or Cal ICH. The grants will support 20 projects in 17 California communities aimed at helping people experiencing homelessness transition out of encampments and into housing.

In Southern California, Los Angeles County will receive $51.5 million, Oceanside will receive $11.4 million, Anaheim will receive $3.1 million and the city of San Bernardino will receive $4.6 million, according to the governor’s office. Grants to the remaining 13 municipalities in the central and northern parts of the state range from $2.5 million to $18.2 million.

“These grants show what is possible when the state partners with local communities to put people first and provide them with services to put them on the path to safe, stable housing,” state housing Secretary Tomiquia Moss, who co-chairs Cal ICH, said in a statement. “This approach focuses on providing the person-centered local solutions that will ensure that unsheltered Californians are connected to the appropriate housing and supportive services they need to achieve long-term stability.”

Cal ICH Executive Officer Meghan Marshall said, “All 17 communities had strong proposals that will help people transition from encampments and onto pathways to housing. While these grants will be made by our sister Department of Housing and Community Development, Cal ICH looks forward to supporting the success of these communities with technical assistance, grounded in evidence-based practices.”

The 20 projects funded by the new grants aim to offer services and support to nearly 3,600 people, of which 2,200 will receive permanent housing, officials said. Twelve of the projects are designed to remove encampments along “state rights-of-way” such as freeways. 

As part of the budget process, Newsom has proposed changes to state law to move personnel and functions into an expanded oversight unit — the Housing and Homelessness Accountability Results and Partnership within the Department of Housing and Community Development.

More from Politics