Oroville Mercury-Register

California voters pass measure pushed by governor to tackle homelessne­ss crisis in razor-thin win

- By Tran Nguyen

>> California voters have approved a measure that will impose strict requiremen­ts on counties to spend on housing and drug treatment programs to tackle the state's homelessne­ss crisis, in a tissue-thin win for Gov. Gavin Newsom, who personally campaigned for the measure's passage.

Democrats outnumber Republican­s by a staggering 2-to-1 in California, and the borderline vote — coming more than two weeks after election day — signaled unease with the state's homeless policies after Newsom's administra­tion invested billions of dollars to get people off the street but no dramatic change has been seen in Los Angeles and other large cities.

The state accounts for nearly a third of the homeless population in the United States; roughly 181,000 California­ns are in need of housing.

Newsom, who made the measure a signature proposal, spent significan­t time and money campaignin­g on its behalf. He raised more than $13 million to promote it with the support of law enforcemen­t, first responders, hospitals and mayors of major cities. Opponents raised just $1,000.

Propositio­n 1 marks the first update to the state's mental health system in 20 years.

“This is the biggest change in decades in how California tackles homelessne­ss, and a victory for doing things radically different,” Newsom said in a statement after the borderline vote. “Now, counties and local officials must match the ambition of California voters. This historic reform will only succeed if we all kick into action immediatel­y

— state government and local leaders, together.”

Counties will now be required to spend about twothirds of the money from a voter-approved tax enacted in 2004 on millionair­es for mental health services on housing and programs for homeless people with serious mental illnesses or substance abuse problems.

The state, with a current inventory of 5,500 beds, needs some 8,000 more units to treat mental health and addiction issues.

The initiative also allows the state to borrow $6.38 billion to build 4,350 housing units, half of which will be reserved for veterans, and add 6,800 mental health and addiction treatment beds.

Opponents, including social service providers and county officials, said the change will threaten programs that are not solely focused on housing or drug treatment but keep people from becoming homeless in the first place.

Critics said the single formula could mean rural counties such as Butte, with a homeless population of fewer than 1,300 people, would be required to divert the same percentage of funds to housing as urban counties such as San Francisco, which has a homeless population six times bigger.

With makeshift tents lining streets and disrupting businesses in communitie­s across the state, homelessne­ss has become one of the most frustratin­g issues in California and one sure to dog Newsom should he ever mount a national campaign.

Newsom touted the propositio­n as the final piece in his plan to reform California's mental health system. He has already pushed for laws that make it easier to force people with behavioral health issues into treatment.

William Elias, a television producer in Sacramento, said he “was on the fence” about Propositio­n 1 but decided to vote in favor

of it because of the pervasive homelessne­ss problem.

“That's something that's all around us right now,” he said. “We got all these tents out here in front of City Hall.”

Estrellita Vivirito, a Palm Springs resident, also voted `yes' on the measure.

“It's only logical, you know, we have to do something,” she said.

 ?? DAMIAN DOVARGANES — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE ?? Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in support of Propositio­n 1, a $6.38billion bond ballot measure, during a news conference at the Los Angeles General Medical Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 3.
DAMIAN DOVARGANES — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in support of Propositio­n 1, a $6.38billion bond ballot measure, during a news conference at the Los Angeles General Medical Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 3.

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