California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $3.3 billion fund this week to help the state tackle homelessness, touting the state as the “national model” for solving the problem.
“The state of California saw a decline in veteran’s homelessness,” said Newsom.
“We have a national model.”
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Newsom Can’t Be Serious: California Governor Gavin Newsom says California is the “National Model” to address homelessness. Anyone that lives or has traveled to California knows that’s a complete lie! They are more like a model of what not to do! pic.twitter.com/AdpyInqcWS
— John Cremeans USA (@JohnCremeansUSA) May 16, 2024
Earlier this year, California voters approved Proposition 1, which aims to expand mental health treatment to those living on the streets and provide housing for those at risk of becoming homeless.
“What Proposition 1 did is that it reinforced that model, provided more resources to advance that model, and we’re very excited to get those dollars to work,” Newsom explained.
He continued:
“Five years ago, there was no homeless strategy, no homeless plan.”
“The state of California was not involved in these issues.”
“To be fair, there was a half-a-billion appropriation that went out to the cities and counties with no accountability, no oversight, and no measured results – that was the first time the state put in a few bucks.
“We had a mental health services act… but it outlived the world we’re living in. We were listless, and it was pretty self-evident,” he added.
“The cities and counties were overwhelmed by what was happening on the streets and sidewalks. We said, we need to do more as a state.”
“The cities and counties cannot do this alone… It’s about more than just money, it’s about resourcefulness, it’s about doing things that we were precluded from doing.”
Despite Newsom’s gas lighting, California still has the he most serious homelessness problem in the U.S.
According to an audit conducted last month, the state has already spent a staggering $24 billion on homeless programs.
However, homelessness keeps getting worse in California.
There are an estimated 180,000 homeless people across the state, amounting to a 53 percent rise over the past decade.
READ: California Loses Track of $24 Billion Allocated to Tackle Homelessness