What Happens to Homeless People After Campaigns? This Is About Cities, California Gov. Newsom Says

Stay up to date with free briefings on issues that matter to all Californians. Sign up for CalMatters today to receive nonprofit news in your inbox.

Whose fault is it that California has a homelessness crisis?

Gov. Gavin Newsom says cities and counties are to blame for failing to get people off the streets — despite all the money he gave them to do so.

That was the message the governor delivered as he signed a package of housing and homelessness bills into law Thursday at a meeting in San Francisco with lawmakers, carpenters union members and members of the press.

“There has never been more support for solving all of these problems than there has been in the last four or five years,” Newsom said. “So what’s happening? It’s time to do the job. It’s time to address the encampment crisis in this state. And yes, I’m not going to turn away from that. And you’ll see that reflected in my budget in January. I’m going to fund success, and I’m not going to fund the rhetoric of failure anymore.”

Asked by a reporter how the state will ensure cities like San Francisco meet their housing goals, Newsom said, “(It’s) not the state’s job to figure out how to do that.” Instead, Newsom said his office is focused on enforcing housing codes; earlier this week, it threatened the city of Norwalk with legal action.

“No local government, no local jurisdiction, no local entity has to do everything,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said, also at a news conference Thursday. “But every jurisdiction, every local government has to do something. They have to participate. They have to build housing in their jurisdiction.”

Speaking at a public housing development in San Francisco, Newsom also provided an update to a $6.4 billion mental health and housing bond passed earlier this year. The state will spend $2.2 billion to expand the Homekey program, which helps cities and counties convert hotels and other buildings into housing for the homeless. The new program, called Homekey+, will begin paying out in May 2025 for housing for people with mental and substance use disorders.

The 32 housing and homelessness bills Newsom signed into law Thursday include:

SB 7 by Senator Catherine Blakespear: Requires local governments to plan for housing for low-income residents