The Guardian: Newsom threatens to pull funds unless California cities crack down on homelessness

[Dennis Donovan]

The Guardian - Newsom threatens to pull funds unless California cities crack down on homelessness

‘We’re not going to fund failure,’ says governor, who warned local authorities they could lose out on millions of dollars

Dani Anguiano
Tue 25 Feb 2025 16.20 EST

California’s governor warned cities and counties that they could lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding if they do not make progress in clearing out encampments and tackling homelessness.

Gavin Newsom’s comments on Monday, while announcing $920m in funding to address the crisis, come as he escalates efforts to push local governments to take greater action. Last summer, Newsom told counties he could withhold state support if they failed to do more homeless encampment sweeps.

“We want to see results. We have to address unsheltered homelessness, encampments and tents,” Newsom said. “We have been too permissive … we need them cleaned up. We’re providing unprecedented support, now we need to see unprecedented results.

“If we don’t, we’re not going to continue to fund excuses, [we’re] not going to continue to fund failure.”

California’s homelessness crisis is the worst in the US with roughly one-third of the country’s population of unhoused people, which experts attribute to a lack of affordable housing in the state. A 2023 count found that more than 180,000 people in the state were experiencing homelessness, including 123,000 people who were unsheltered or living outside on the streets in tents, trailers, cars and makeshift shelters.

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