‘Delusional’ Gavin Newsom is roasted for claiming California is the ‘national model’ for tackling homelessness: ‘Look around you buddy!’
California Governor Gavin Newsom has sparked a wave of criticism and ridicule after claiming his state is the “national model” for tackling homelessness.
The Democrat, 56, made the comments as he announced a $3.3 billion fund for California counties to address rampant homelessness, including a mental health initiative he pushed for.
“The state of California saw a decrease in veteran homelessness,” he said Tuesday. “We have a national model.”
Newsom appeared to be referring to California’s 30 percent decline in homelessness among veterans over the past 12 years, despite a Federal report 2023 The conclusion is that the state has 28 percent of the total number of unhoused people in the country.
That figure represented an increase of 40 percent compared to the level of five years ago, it reported CalMatters.
At a news conference Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom invited criticism after claiming his state is the “national model” for homelessness
Despite Newsom’s comments, California has seen a 40 percent increase in homelessness over the past five years
At a news conference focused on Newsom’s homelessness initiative, the governor touted a mental health provision he pushed for earlier this year.
Referring to his “national model,” Newsom said, “What Proposition 1 did is it strengthened that model, provided more resources to advance that model, and we’re very excited to get those dollars to work.”
Proposition 1 was presented to voters in March, with the goal of expanding access to mental health treatment plans for behavioral and substance abuse, in addition to providing housing for individuals at risk of homelessness, including veterans.
It will also impose strict rules on how counties can spend money on homelessness, including a mandate that two-thirds of the money raised from a 2004 tax on millionaires be spent solely on mental health care.
The provision received a statewide vote of less than half a percentage point (50.2 to 49.8 percent), signaling the division over the bill in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1.
Newsom also raised more than $13 million to promote the proposal, while his opponents raised just $1,000, according to NPR.
The number of unsheltered homeless people — those living on the streets instead of in shelters or government housing — is eight times higher in California than in the next worst state
Newsom has made homelessness a central issue in recent years and recently secured a ballot measure to direct billions toward the crisis
The new fight against homelessness will see California build 4,305 new housing units and add 6,800 addiction treatment beds to its arsenal
While critics argued that the legislation was too expensive — it would require billions to build 4,350 housing units and add 6,800 addiction treatment beds — Newsom countered that it marked a dramatic shift toward streamlining California’s response to homelessness.
“Five years ago, there was no homeless strategy, no homeless plan,” Newsom said. “The state of California was not involved in these issues.
“To be honest, half a billion went to the cities and counties with no accountability, no oversight, no measured results – that was the first time the state put a few dollars in there.
“We had a mental health law, but it has outlived the world we live in,” he continued, saying the previous mental health law was designed for a “world that no longer exists.”
“We were lethargic, and that was pretty obvious,” he said. “The cities and counties were overwhelmed by what was happening on the streets and sidewalks.
‘We said: we have to do more as a state. The cities and provinces cannot do this alone. It’s about more than just money, it’s about ingenuity, it’s about doing things we weren’t supposed to do.”
Although Newsom indicated he had high hopes for his program’s success, his assertion that other states should follow his “model” drew criticism from some conservatives.
California Congressman Kevin Kiley responded to an excerpt from the governor’s speech about X, in which he said his comments were “the height of madness.”
Another viewer also chimed in: “Newsom is right, we are a national model – but in a negative way.
“Let the nation see us as a dire warning of how not to deal with homelessness.”
Los Angeles, which has more homeless people than any other city in the US with a population of 65,111, saw its homelessness rate increase by nine percent in 2023 compared to the previous year.
And while veteran homelessness in California has fallen by 30 percent over the past two decades, overall homelessness levels have increased by 30.5 percent between 2007 and 2023, with an additional 42,000 people becoming homeless during that time.
Newsom’s claim about the decline in homelessness among veterans seemed to refer to the 30 percent decline in the past 12 years, but other figures indicated that homelessness has not improved in recent years.
In Los Angeles, where according to a study there are more homeless people than any other American city, with a whopping 65,111 people. separate 2023 California Senate reportIn 2023, the percentage will have increased by nine percent compared to the previous year.
The same year’s federal report also found that California was responsible for 28 percent of the nation’s homeless population.
The study also found that the number of “unsheltered” people – those who do not live in any form of government housing or shelter and instead sleep on the streets – in California represented 49 percent of the total number of people in the country.
With more than 123,000 unsheltered homeless people in California, the figure was eight times higher than the next worst state, Florida, which had just 15,000.
And while veteran homelessness in California has fallen by 30 percent over the past two decades, overall homelessness levels have increased by 30.5 percent between 2007 and 2023, with an additional 42,000 people becoming homeless during that time.