In a razor-thin victory for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, voters in the Golden State approved a measure called Proposition 1 that imposes strict requirements on counties to spend on housing and drug treatment programs to combat the state's homelessness crisis.
Newsom personally campaigned for the passage of the measure. In the state of California, Republicans outnumber Republicans by a 2-to-1 margin, and the vote, which comes two weeks after election day, could signal an uneasiness with Newsom's homeless policies after his administration invested billions to get people off the street but with no dramatic change being seen in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other large cities.
Newsom is said to have spent a great amount of time and money personally campaigning on behalf of the measure. He raised more than $13 million to promote, gaining the support of law enforcement, first responders, hospitals, and mayors of major cities. Opponents raised just $1,000.
"This is the biggest change in decades in how California tackles homelessness and a victory for doing things radically different," Newsom said in a statement after the borderline vote. "Now, counties and local officials must match the ambition of California voters. This historic reform will only succeed if we all kick into action immediately - state government and local leaders, together."
Proposition 1 requires counties to spend two-thirds of the money from a voter-approved tax on millionaires from 2004 for mental health services on housing and programs for homeless people with serious mental illness and substance abuse problems.
The measure allows the state to borrow $6.38 billion to build 4,350 housing units, half of which will be reserved for veterans. Also, it will add 6,800 mental health and addiction treatment beds.
Critics believe the change will threaten programs that are not solely focused on housing and drug treatment but simply keep from becoming homeless, instead.
Rural counties with a comparably small homeless population relative to Los Angeles or San Diego would be required to spend the same amount of money as those locations.
