Big City Mayors Request $2 Billion in Ongoing, Annual Homeless Funding

California’s Big City Mayors were in Sacramento last week to lobby for another $1 billion in funding to combat homelessness. 

It’s a bold ask, given California’s cold economic reality. The state is facing a budget deficit of $31.5 billion. 

The mayors’ request is $1 billion less than what’s been proposed by the League of California Cities. But it comes amid great frustration over the lack of progress on this issue. The governor temporarily cut $1 billion in homeless funding to local governments last year, citing their alleged failure to produce adequate plans to get people off the streets. That funding was later restored. 

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria insisted that governments’ efforts are working, but said there simply isn’t enough funding to deal with the scope of the problem.

“... We acknowledge that it’s hard for many Californians to see the results and that’s because we’re simply not keeping pace with the number of people who are becoming newly homeless,” he said.

In addition to the annual $2 billion, the mayors have asked the state to approve and fund another 2,300 units under Project Homekey.  

Read more at the Sacramento Bee.