Governor Newsom signs legislation addressing homelessness and affordable housing

SAN FRANCISCO - Governor Gavin Newsom was joined by state and local leaders on Thursday to sign legislation aimed at addressing homelessness and expanding affordable housing. With these initiatives positioned as top priorities for voters in the upcoming election, the governor spoke with a sense of urgency in finding sustainable solutions to these challenges. 

Seven housing-related bills in total were signed during the press conference, out of 32 bills related to housing in the state. Newsom also spoke about new statewide efforts related to housing and mental health aimed at tackling the state's homelessness crisis.

California accounts for nearly a third of the nation's homeless population, with Latines being one of the most impacted ethnic groups in the state, with a total of 181,000 people according to a 2023 report to Congress from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Much of the rise in homelessness in the past five years was due to the pandemic, along with systemic and economic challenges, with marginalized communities being the most affected. 

In attendance were the representatives from the Carpenters Union, California Assemblymember Timothy S. Grayson representing the 15th District, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks representing District 14, and Attorney General Rob Bonta. 

Newsom asserted that local governments have been hindering the state's efforts to tackle homelessness and urged them to increase their contributions. “Billions of dollars have been given to local governments. We want accountability,” he emphasized. Newsom went on to say the state has a framework to make the money available in a matter of months rather than years.  

The governor stated that they are in the seventh Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) cycle and will be requiring homelessness as a part of the legal process. The RHNA operates under the California Department of Housing and Community Development and determines how many new homes and at what affordability each area in California must plan for every eight years. The RHNA process is part of the Housing Element Law and is conducted by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). The seventh cycle of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation process is expected to begin in 2027.

The governor expressed the state’s goal would be to build 2.5 million units of housing by 2030 as part of the RHNA process. “That's part of our framework around accountability,” Newsom stated. 

Newsom has received harsh criticism over his housing and homelessness initiatives this year. Back in March, voters narrowly passed Proposition 1, a homelessness bill Newsom pushed for but received backlash from many mental health groups. The plan authorized nearly $6.4 billion to provide additional housing units and treatment beds for an estimated 11,000 people, something the governor reiterated during Thursday's press conference. 

Opponents of Newsom’s tactics concerning the removal of homeless encampments say the governor is not giving local cities enough resources to house the people being removed from the camps. Newsom’s opponents also argue that the governor’s approach to removing homeless encampments lacks adequate support to rehome the displaced population. 

The Governor countered the criticism during Thursday's press conference, claiming it to be a false talking point and that substantial state resources had already been allocated towards city efforts. At the press conference, he emphasized, “We just want to radically change the way we’ve been doing things.”