SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Big city mayors from across the state called for more money to be sent directly to cities to help combat homelessness. They said the way they’re spending the money right now is working.
The mayors made it clear, however, if the funding the cities are currently getting is not renewed, the cities will have to make cuts to the programs in place.
In 2018, the big city mayors fought for funding to be sent directly to cities so they didn’t have to use as much of their general funds and take away from other city services. The state’s 13 largest cities were granted hundreds of millions of dollars that they split from two state programs.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said his city received $70 million in funding from the two state programs, which are set to end in 2023.
“It's been a dramatic game-changer in making sure we can serve this large number of folks who are unsheltered in our community, and not just serve them, but get them off the streets for good,” Mayor Gloria said.
Each city spent the money in unique ways.
“We have helped to expand our shelter bed capacity serving over 7,500 people," Gloria said. "We've transitioned 1,500 of those folks into permanent homes. We've expanded our shelter capacity by 1,000 beds, a 21% increase.”
Gloria painted an ugly picture if the money is not extended. The mayors are asking for three more years at a cost of $3 billion.
“We would need to make some reductions," Gloria said. "These shelter beds, these rapid rehousing opportunities, outreach programs - these are not free. Those programs would have to be evaluated against all the other challenges that we have as a city, from filling potholes to paying police officers and everything in between.”
Governor Gavin Newsom's homeless advisor, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said it’s important this money goes straight to the cities.
“Cities are not homeless service agencies," Steinberg said. "Cities are not health and human services agencies. All of the mental health money, all the substance abuse money, flows through the counties.”
Steinberg said Sacramento has used the money to increase shelter beds, fund housing initiatives and Project Room Key.
"In my city, we have gone from a couple of hundred shelter beds to 1,100 every night," Steinberg said.
"If this funding is cut off, we hit what one would call a fiscal cliff," Steinberg added. "Cities don't have the ongoing funding on the health and human services side to do this work.”
They said statewide, the funding helped build 9,000 shelter beds, 45 new shelters and served 25,000 people.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said that he’s feeling good about this being included in the state budget based on his experience as a state assemblymember and how this could fit in. He also believes it's a modest ask.
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