Gov. Newsom Proposes $1 Billion to Address Homelessness across California

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to expand paid family leave to six months

Governor Gavin Newsom released his revised state budget totaling $213 billion, which included $1 billion to address homelessness statewide.

California has approximately 130,000 homeless residents in 2018, according the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The state’s homeless population was among the highest in the United States.

Homelessness is a big and chronic problem that’s draining local resources across the state. The state’s homeless residents are living in parks, streets and other places that are not suitable for human dwelling.

Last year, the mayors of California’s 11 largest cities and a group of state lawmakers introduced a legislation seeking $1.5 billion funding to address homelessness. They emphasized that local governments cannot handle this humanitarian and statewide crisis alone.

Targeting the causes of homelessness

Gov. Newsom believes that California’s homelessness crisis in California is becoming worse because the health care system does not provide adequate help for people with mental illness. Recent studies showed that mental illness is one of the major causes of homelessness.