‘State of emergency’: Newsom announces $11.5M in grants for homeless funding in Fresno
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday during a visit to Fresno that the city and county will receive $11.5 million of emergency grants in the next few weeks to address homelessness.
It’s part of $650 million statewide targeted toward the issue.
“Enough’s enough,” Newsom said. “We’ve got to own this, we’ve got to meet this moment. This issue is a crisis. It’s a state of emergency. People are dying on the streets and sidewalks. There’s no compassion, stepping over people on the streets and sidewalks, and we’ve got to own up to this in a way we haven’t in the past.”
The Fresno funds, to be administered by the city and county, will go toward homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing.
Newsom spoke to a group of reporters at Exodus Recovery, Inc. in southeast Fresno as part of his statewide homeless tour. The center offers in-patient mental health services to youth and adults, many of whom experience homelessness.
The governor said Fresno would also be receiving a portion of $750 million carved out in the state budget to address homeless issues. He has asked the Legislature to fast-track the distribution of those funds so that they may be available this summer.
Newsom announced plans to include in the November ballot a constitutional amendment mandating that cities and counties have real plans of action to address homelessness.
Fresno mayor’s thanks
Mayor Lee Brand thanked Newsom for keeping his commitment to the San Joaquin Valley.
“About a year ago I met with the governor and the mayors of Merced and Bakersfield in my conference room,” Brand said. “He made a promise that he would not leave Fresno and the Valley behind, and on a number of issues, he has fulfilled his promise, including homelessness, the No. 1 issue in Fresno and the No. 1 issue across the entire state.”
In the last round of state homeless funding, the city of Fresno received $3.1 million. Brand said that money has helped put in place 241 beds for homeless individuals over the past year. He said a greater investment is “sorely needed.”
In the city of Fresno, 1,152 people are homeless, and about 300 more are homeless but living in a shelter, according to a tally taken last January. Homelessness in Fresno and Madera counties grew about 17% from the previous year, the tally showed.
Dawan Utecht, director of behavioral health for Fresno County, said the county is using state money to begin medical service outreach to homeless people on the street.
“We really think it’s going to be another opportunity to help people stabilize some of their medical and psychiatric problems in a street setting. Go where they’re at and meet them where they’re at,” she said.
Newsom kicked off the homelessness tour Monday in Grass Valley before visiting Los Angeles and Riverside, where he toured shelters and discussed homeless resources. The last stop will be in the Bay Area on Thursday.
“Don’t ever think you can’t solve this problem,” Newsom said. “Everywhere I go, we’re solving this problem.”
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 4:34 PM.