Housing policy advocates described Newsom's stated goal of 3.5 million new homes in four years the same way he has: aspirational. Jason Elliott, Gov. Newsom's latest housing fix: More Californians living downtown A governors signature does not build new units, he said. We couldnt control the outcome of the mayoral election, and my advice to staff and department heads was: Dont try to do that. An Update on Governor's Office Staffing for 2020 Because people just want to get people inside off the streets, Klasky-Gamer said. In their 14-page letter, the advocates blasted the proposal as involuntary and coercive treatment that would strip individuals of their personal liberties and perpetuate institutional racism and worsen health disparities. They said CARE Court flies in the face of any evidence-based approach to ending homelessness because it prioritizes mental health services not housing as the initial step toward recovery, which they said would deviate from Californias housing first principles. We start with no. 'The Country Is Watching': California Homeless Crisis Looms as Gov As a result, the state has announced it will simplify the process toget more money out the door faster. Newsoms administration believes that 7,000 to 12,000 people could qualify for the court-ordered care, a fraction of the estimated 161,000 people experiencing homelessness in California. His sister is deputy chief of staff for the mayor of New Orleans and his cousin, who he grew up with, was chief of staff for the mayor of Portland. A, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Bay Area weather: After thunderstorms and hail, snow could be on the way this weekend, How California used COVID to create housing. You cant bid high enough on labor to get the folks you need so its kind of a moot point for the foreseeable future, he said. He spearheaded two programs that together wound up being one of the states biggest feats during the unprecedented pandemic. A central component of CARE Court is accountability, which Newsom said will drive results. Program to buy hotels for homeless people could get another influx of SonyaLogman, 30,of Antelope, has been appointedDeputy Cabinet Secretary. But getting a good read on his thinking can be difficult. Lawmakers similarly expect answers to these questions before Newsom submits a formal proposal to the Legislature. We started with a lot of ideas. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. That has not happened here, the letter says. As soon as applicants sign a pledge to submit more ambitious targets and try harder in their plans for the next $1 billion grant the final round of flexible local homelessness funding approved in the 2021 budget the state will start cutting checks for this round, according to Jason Elliott, Newsom's deputy chief of staff. I think everyone thinks this is the year to really get things done, she said. And they want more clarity around the role of the supporter, who they said would serve more as court agents than personal advocates. Some were really good and some were not so good. The transcript below was edited for brevity and clarity: Marisa Lagos: You step into these huge shoes, and then about six months later Mayor Ed Lee suddenly dies in the middle of the night. 4. Honestly sometimes when something is working, you dont tinker with it. Those concerns are likely to be raised as Newsom continues to conduct roundtable discussions with stakeholders throughout the state. Many affordable housing developers argue there just isnt the available workforce so that mandate would only increase the cost of construction. Governor Newsom had previously announcedAna J.Matosantosas Cabinet Secretary,Jason Elliott as Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Executive Branch Operations, and Angie Wei as Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Policy Development. Gavin Newsom's adviser on housing and homelessness, said that while the state can build housing for homeless people and the very poor, the private sector is essential to easing the statewide housing shortage. A: I will point you to the governors budget proposal: $1.75 billion. Deputy Chief of Staff, Governor Gavin Newsom Greater . Those who would qualify are characterized by experts as the hardest to reach and most difficult to treat, largely because they have a variety of complex needs and are often hesitant to trust government intervention. Elliott said he was watching with glee the Biden administrations $5 billion proposal as part of his infrastructure plan to encourage local governments to end exclusionary zoning and other practices. Hes the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. We have exploded in bringing more interim housing beds online. We want to move, and we want to move quickly, Newsom said during a recent interview on KQED. (Courtesy of Jason Elliott) Jason Elliott had been chief of staff to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee for only about six months when he got the call last December that Lee was in the hospital. Gavin Newsom's adviser on housing and homelessness, said that while the state can build housing for homeless people and the very poor, the private sector is essential to. Secretly, he still does. Elliott sidestepped another question, about whether the administration would seek to extend the statewide eviction moratorium, which is set to end June 30, as the state doubles its rent relief funds with an additional $2.6 billion from the federal government. A: California struggles and has struggled for decades to provide adequate housing for people experiencing homelessness. No, of course not. Were putting out more homeless housing through this program than we probably do in several years under normal circumstances. Opposition mounts against Newsom's plan for court-ordered treatment of But its a start, and more than California has done in a long time. Elliott hopes the Legislature will make $250 million of the $750 million available before Newsom's budget, which will be debated by the Legislature before it is implemented, goes into effect in . No, we shouldnt build there, Elliott said. We are not batting 1,000. But it takes time to build capacity, said Phebe Bell, behavioral health director for Nevada County and the president of the County Behavioral Health Directors Assn. Six weeks after Gov. Health | Workforce development for those skilled trades is going to be so essential.. Graham Knaus, executive director of the California State Assn. Newsom has not provided a price tag for how much CARE Court could cost, but it would likely be paid for with a portion of the projected $14 billion he wants to spend on addressing homelessness over the next several years. With a budget surplus bonanza, Gov. Receive a free briefing on your state every day. So wed really like to see communities not only continue the portfolio that they have under Project Roomkey, but potentially expand it, and expand it significantly. Newsom Offers Vacant Land for Homeless Shelters, but Local - KQED The groups often have significant sway among liberal legislative Democrats, the kind of influence that could hinder Newsoms hopes for a new law to be in place by July 1. A: Both the Bay Area and Los Angeles have stepped up in incredible ways. We vehemently oppose the proposal because it has this coercive court process implemented, and no right to housing, Castillo said. Elliott has worked in government his whole career, and he met his wife in Gavin Newsoms administration, when Newsom was mayor of San Francisco. Gov. We have lost people back to the streets out of Project Roomkey. Sign up below, then look for a confirmation email in your inbox. Andrew Imparato, executive director of Disability Rights California, said his group was open to working with the administration and lawmakers on changes. This is a very small segment of the population. But the advocates are concerned about more than the courts and housing. They say that's because the state doesn't build housing in . His grandfather was in the State Department. So I hopped in my car, drove over to Mather where OES is, and went into a conference room where the governor, Ann and a few others were, and sort of started at that point to realize how fundamentally this was going to change everything. Homekey was able to produce 6,000 units in six months, at a third of the cost, in about a fifth of the amount of time it typically takes. LA County reports 14 COVID-related deaths, 1,300-plus cases on Friday Has it protected 35,000 homeless Californians? Are sale-leasebacks still a viable option? He hasnt had a day off in months. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly made housing affordability a top priority of his administration. Sign up for our daily newsletter. Title: Senior Counselor to Gov. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. With this $1.75 billion (the governor proposed spending $1.75 billion on homeless housing, including $750 million to continue Homekey) we want to create this momentum behind Homekey and not have it be a one-time thing. But you also had to immediately get to work. The governors new plan to create a court-ordered treatment effort is being sharply criticized by anti-poverty groups and civil libertarians. Daniel Seeman, 33, of Sacramento,has been appointedDeputy Cabinet Secretary. And at that point, we were modeling a 56% attack rate for the virus, meaning that we expected 56% of Californians would get coronavirus at some point during the outbreak. Prior to that, she held roles as Appointments Director for the Senate Rules Committee, Deputy Director of the Center for CaliforniaStudies at California State University, Sacramento, Director of the Senate Fellows Program, Chief of Staff to Senator Barry Keene, consultant to Assembly Majority Consultants, legislative aide to U.S. Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis Signs Legislation to Support States COVID-19 Preparedness, PHOTOS: Governor Newsom Visits Diablo Canyon Power Plant, More Time to File State Taxes for Californians Impacted by December and January Winter Storms, Governor Newsom on Read Across America Day: While Other States Ban Books, Were Helping Students Read, Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency in 13 Counties Due to Winter Storms, Activates California Guard. Elliott said the almost-certain recall facing Newsom later this year isnt affecting his positions on housing, either, pointing to the governors 2020 State of the State speech, where housing and homelessness took center stage.