In the face of the state’s incapacity to deal with homelessness, Californians have had enough.
We have 30 percent of the nation’s homeless and 47 percent of the overall unsheltered population, which is 12 percent of the nation’s total population.
$17 billion in recent years has been thrown at this problem, yet there have been no noticeable outcomes. Actually, things have gotten far worse; we have become a national laughingstock.
It’s a long pastime to come up with some serious solutions to this problem. Legislation sponsored by the Republican caucus in Sacramento, called the Act on Homelessness, addresses the core causes of the problem, including substance abuse, mental illness, and affordable housing.
The bill, if passed, would remove obstacles to treating those who are unable to seek care. There will be an increase in the number of mental health professionals and treatment facilities for those with mental illness and addiction, as well as the removal of bureaucratic obstacles that prevent the development of new emergency shelters and supportive housing.
Charitable organizations that provide shelter services for the homeless will also be encouraged and supported.
Efforts to remove squatter camps are encouraged by the law. Homeless outreach and wrap-around services for law enforcement and county welfare departments are included, as are meetings with homeless people, and assessments of their immediate housing and care requirements need to be made.
Reentry planning and therapy for criminal defendants at risk of homelessness after release from jail will be funded and expanded.
Those in power must be held to account. What happened to the $17 billion? What are the results so far?
State funding for homelessness programs and services must be consolidated into a single department in order to eliminate duplicative and contradictory regulations, as well as streamline funding. State and municipal activities targeted at eliminating homelessness will be detailed in an annual report by the Governor for both the Legislature and the public.
We can make significant progress toward finding lasting solutions to homelessness if we follow through on these sensible recommendations. Now is the time to take action!