California governor unveils US$12b plan to house the homeless

Los Angeles

CALIFORNIA Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday said he was committing US$12 billion to the state's seemingly intractable homeless problem in what he said was the largest amount of money spent at one time to get individuals and families off the streets.

The move comes as Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, along with smaller cities and towns, grapple with mushrooming homeless populations and the spread of unsanitary conditions and disease in blighted communities.

The US$12 billion in homelessness spending is part of a larger US$100 billion package Mr Newsom calls the California Comeback Plan, in reference to economic damage sustained by the nation's most populous state during the coronavirus pandemic.

The first-term Democrat faces a Republican-led recall effort over his handling of the pandemic.

"The California Comeback Plan invests a historic US$12 billion to expand these successful programmes and seeks to end family homelessness within five years," Mr Newsom, 53, said in a written statement.

"That's the idea behind the Comeback Plan's homelessness investments - more, faster and with accountability and efficiency stitched into the fabric of these new investments," he said.

Of the US$12 billion, US$7 billion would be used to acquire more temporary housing under Project Roomkey, a programme in which the state provides money for cities and counties to rent hotel rooms for people living on the streets.

Another US$1.75 billion would be spent to build affordable homes, some US$450 million to address student homelessness and 150 million to "stabilise and re-house" people given shelter under Project Roomkey.

Last month, US District Judge David Carter ordered Los Angeles to find shelter for the roughly 4,500 people living on the streets of the city's infamous Skid Row neighbourhood.

He delivered a blistering criticism of city officials, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, for the problem. Mr Garcetti is reportedly being considered for an ambassador role in the Biden administration. REUTERS