California GOP releases plan to address the homeless crisis

Republican lawmakers unveiled a package of new bills during a press conference at the Capitol yesterday.  The 17 proposals that make up the “ACT on Homelessness (Accountability, Compassion and Treatment),” emphasize results over dollars and focuses on accountability, compassion, and treatment for the state’s homelessness.

“Republicans are proposing a multi-pronged approach to address the root of the homeless crisis and actually help people get their lives back. Continuing on the road we are on is more of a dead-end than a path to success,” said Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk (Santa Clarita).

California is home to 12% of the nation’s population but has 28% of the nation’s homeless and 47% of its unsheltered homeless.

“Leaving people with mental illness or addiction to deteriorate on the streets isn’t compassion – it’s the exact opposite,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (Yuba City). “Throwing money at the problem won’t fix it. Neither will small tweaks to existing programs. It’s time for bold changes that will finally make a major difference to one of the biggest crises facing our state.”

“We have been wrestling with this problem for years, and it always seems to get worse,” said Senator Patricia C. Bates (Laguna Niguel). “The ACT on Homelessness package will allow us to implement a statewide effort to better coordinate existing programs. Our legislative package puts forward holistic policy proposals that provide necessary oversight, accountability, transparency, treatment and compassion. To be clear, we still believe Governor Newsom should call for a special session, as we requested in January, so this crisis receives the attention and focus it deserves.”

“California’s homelessness crisis continues to worsen even though there are known solutions,” said Assemblymember Suzette Martinez Valladares (Santa Clarita). “This is not business as usual, it is a full blown disaster that impacts the lives of every single Californian. My colleagues and I have introduced significant and meaningful reforms to fight this crisis head on. The Governor needs to join with us in the Legislature to remove regulatory hurdles, move people out of the dangerous and unhealthy street conditions and into shelter, and deliver treatment and other resources to those who need it. Californians are tired of waiting for real solutions to this constantly growing problem.”

More information about the plan can be found at https://cssrc.us/issue/actonhomelessness.