SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Battle lines have emerged in the debate over Gov. Gavin Newsom's far-reaching and controversial effort to provide court-ordered treatment for homeless individuals with severe mental illness, with Democrats and local government officials divided as the plan faces its first public hearing Tuesday.
After Newsom introduced his proposed Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court in March as a tool to connect an estimated 7,000 to 12,000 people to housing and behavioral health treatment, mayors of some of California's most populous cities quickly endorsed the so-called CARE Court plan, along with a handful of organizations that represent families with loved ones living on the streets.
But leaders of certain homeless, civil and disability rights groups raised significant concerns about the possibility of forced treatment and the plan's lack of housing available to shelter all those in need. County leaders raised questions about the eventual cost and the lack of a workforce to provide intensive services.
