After pouring an unprecedented $12 billion into homeless housing and services last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom now is turning to the massive tent camps, shanty-towns and make-shift RV parks that have taken over California's streets, parks and open spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a never-before-seen effort, the governor is doling out $50 million this winter to help cities and counties clear out camps and house people living outside. San Jose, Richmond and Santa Cruz are among those that might benefit. Newsom hopes to increase that investment 10-fold in the coming year's budget and add $1.5 billion to house people with behavioral health conditions. In charge of it all will be Newsom's new state homelessness council, co-chaired by none other than the face of California's COVID response — Dr. Mark Ghaly.
"This is probably one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime type funding that we're seeing from the state," said Michelle Milam, crime prevention manager for the Richmond Police Department and a member of the city's homelessness task force. "We've never seen this kind of investment from the state for encampments."
