Newsom To Unleash State Homelessness Funds

By Lisa Halverstadt, the Voice of San Diego

November 21, 2022

This post originally appeared in the Nov. 21 Morning Report. Get the daily newsletter in your inbox here.

Gov. Gavin Newsom agreed to release hundreds of millions of dollars in state homelessness funds – including tens of millions for San Diego – after a Friday sit down with local government leaders.

Mayor Todd Gloria went into the Sacramento meeting with a plan to urge the governor to quickly unleash state Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program funds he held back earlier this month and to demand the bolder goals he sought in the next funding round.

Gloria appeared to get his wish. Newsom’s office said in a late Friday statement he had “challenged local leaders to submit more ambitious plans for their next round of funding.”

Gloria tweeted after the meeting that he appreciated the frank discussion and outcome of the meeting.

“We started a dialogue on actions that will get more homeless into housing and the state released the funds cities like San Diego use to power our outreach, shelter and housing programs,” Gloria wrote.

Gloria’s office said the mayor also used the opportunity to emphasize the asks he and 10 other California mayors flagged for Newsom in a letter last week, including permanent and increased state homelessness funding to allow for more long-term planning and improved outcomes.

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