California’s homeless population has skyrocketed in the past 10 years, even while national homeless numbers have actually dropped. Experts say California’s policies actually encourage people to remain homeless – and nothing in Gavin Newsom’s latest proposal changes that.
Facing increasing voter frustration over skyrocketing numbers of homelessness in his state, this week California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he finally will back mandated mental health and substance abuse treatment for the homeless – but only in very narrow circumstances.
Experts warn Newsom’s approach to homelessness remains fatally-flawed and his latest proposal does not go nearly far enough and any benefits will be offset by Newsom’s continued support for failed policies that actually encourage the homeless to come to California.
“In California, we’re throwing good money after bad on homelessness - we’re literally funding failure and exacerbating the homeless crisis in our state,” said Carl DeMaio, Chairman of Reform California.
“Nothing in Gavin Newsom’s latest proposal changes that and I believe Newsom is only grandstanding to try to fool voters into thinking he is actually trying to make progress on homelessness,” DeMaio warned.
To understand why Newsom’s latest policy proposal won’t work DeMaio says we need to understand the real root causes of homelessness. DeMaio explains that studies of homelessness pinpoint the root causes are mental health and addiction problems - which then result in an individual not being able to hold a steady job and therefore not being able to afford housing.
“You can’t solve homelessness by just giving out free taxpayer-funded housing or free money - those address only the symptoms - you must start by addressing mental health and substance abuse in these individuals by taking a tough-love approach,” DeMaio explained. DeMaio points to success in other states that have used the stick of law enforcement to force homeless into treatment programs.
DeMaio says Newsom’s proposal and his overall approach to homelessness is destined for failure.
First, Newsom continues to support the Housing First approach that actually prohibits social service organizations from requiring drug tests or setting behavioral rules in exchange for housing assistance. In fact, under Newsom’s policies, homeless individuals are allowed to use drugs and taxpayer funding is now even being used to provide facilitate drug use by homeless.
Second, Newsom’s CARE Court proposal is designed to be difficult to use and only applies to a very narrow band of homeless individuals. In fact, the CARE Court proposal can only be used if someone is arrested for a crime.
“Therein lies the biggest flaw with the program – and proof that Newsom is not serious about using mandated drug and mental health treatment in the fight against homelessness,” DeMaio says.
DeMaio points out that “you’d have to commit a pretty big crime to ever get arrested in California” because liberal state and local politicians have gutted law enforcement’s ability to make arrests. Specifically on homeless individuals, California’s liberal politicians have prohibited law enforcement from enforcing laws regarding panhandling, petty theft, loitering, trespassing, public indecency, and drugs.
Third, Newsom had a chance to back a much more expansive pilot program to require mental health and substance abuse treatment for homeless individuals – but he instead killed it.
In the fall of 2021 – right after he fought off the Recall – Newsom vetoed a bill that would have let homeless individuals convicted of drug offenses choose between incarceration and treatment. At the time Newsom revealed his true philosophy when he said “coerced treatment for substance use disorder is not the answer.”
DeMaio points out that California represents 12% of the US population, but has 48% of the nation’s homeless at approximately 161,548 individuals. Since 2010, homelessness has been on decline in every other state except California, New York, and Massachusetts — implying the nation’s homeless may be seeking out California.
DeMaio says the first step to cleaning up our streets and addressing the root causes of homelessness is to use the tool of law enforcement aggressively to force homeless with mental health and substance abuse problems into mandated treatment.
DeMaio says that can only happen if Newsom drops the policies banning social service providers from enforcing substance abuse and mental health rules and if politicians really empower law enforcement and the courts to use the law to force individuals into needed treatment.
DeMaio says that’s why he and Reform California are focused on repealing Prop 47.
“Prop 47 ties the hands of law enforcement to enforce existing law and prevents the combating of property and quality-of-life crimes throughout our state,” explains DeMaio, “We have to empower law enforcement to enforce our laws and be the compassionate stick to drive homeless into treatment programs, which will force them to address their mental health and substance abuse issues,” he continued.
In a recent Berkeley/IGS poll, 57% of California voters indicated support for a repeal of Prop 47. DeMaio and Reform California are working to secure enough signatures by April 26th to qualify a repeal measure for the November 2022 ballot.
“This effort is critical in our fight to make our communities clean and safe again, and it’s the right path forward for truly helping our homeless population recover from their burdens — but we need your help to get this repeal of Prop 47 on the ballot,” said DeMaio. “I’m asking all concerned Californians to support our campaign today to restore public safety and solve the homeless crisis,” he concluded.
Join the Fight: Restore Public Safety to Solve the Homeless Crisis
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