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NORTH AmERIcAN Newsline OCTOBER 01, 2021 | The Indian Eye 20

CALIFoRNIA BILLs

Governor newsom Signs legislation to address

Homelessness and mental Health Services

$22 billion package – the largest investment of its kind in state history – will result in 84,000 at

new affordable housing units, including 44,000 homeless units in California

our Bureau Homeless Housing, Assistance and Preven-

LOS ANGELES tion Program (HHAP). Starting now, local
governments must commit to quantifiable
overnor Gavin Newsom has signed goals across six standardized metrics and
a suite of bills to help address the make progress towards meeting or exceed-
Ghomelessness crisis and enhance ing them in order to receive their full share
California’s response to people suffering of HHAP funding. Governor Newsom de-
from mental health issues on the streets, a manded this new accountability as part of
critical part of the Governor’s $22 Billion his multibillion-dollar homelessness invest-
housing affordability and package, while ment, and worked with the Legislature to
visiting an acute board and care home run craft these new oversight laws.
by Los Angeles County. Altogether, the ef- Mayor Eric Garcetti joined Governor
forts highlighted today represent a compre- Gavin Newsom as he signed legislation that
hensive strategy to get more Californians supports the State’s work to expand mental
off the streets faster than ever before and health services and behavioral health hous-
into the health services and housing they (From left to right) rajendra Vora, Founder ing as part of a comprehensive approach to
need -- all at a fraction of the cost of previ- & President Jain Social Group Beverly Hills, tackle the homelessness crisis.
ous efforts. congratulating California Governor Gavin “For too long, Los Angeles was left to
“We can’t nibble around the edges of the newsom & La mayor Eric Garcetti after the grapple with the humanitarian crisis of
homelessness crisis, we need to implement signing of the $22-billion package homelessness by itself. Today, I’m proud to
bold, transformative solutions – investing say those days of scarce funding are behind
more money than ever before to get folks us,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti.
off the street and provide the mental health “It was only three years ago that I led
and other services they need to stay off the Mayors from California’s largest cities to
streets,” said Governor Newsom. “Today’s demand that the State join us in confront-
legislation, along with our overall $22 bil- ing the crisis on our streets -- and now,
lion housing affordability and homelessness thanks to the support of Governor Newsom,
package, will move the needle on creating we have a state budget that will help meet
more housing for the homeless and will al- the desperate need for comprehensive solu-
low us to tackle the homelessness crisis in tions to homelessness and make a profound
ways California has never done.” difference in the lives of unhoused Angele-
The Governor signed a package of bills nos.”
to increase coordination and accountabili- Using this year’s historic budget surplus,
ty of the state’s homelessness spending, in- Governor Newsom and the State Legisla-
cluding AB 1220 by Assemblymember Luz ture made a $12 billion commitment to
Rivas (D-Arleta) which reforms the former homelessness. Mayor Garcetti has fiercely
Homeless Coordinating and Financing (From left to right): State assembleymember, advocated for more State dollars to fight
Council, renaming it the California Inter- La County supervisor Hilda Solis, Gov newsom homelessness in Los Angeles — fighting
agency Council on Homelessness, and bol- & La mayor Eric Garcetti for and winning the creation of the Home-
sters the Council’s powers through new data less Emergency Aid Program and Home-
mandates and oversight authorities. Further tion System, allowing policymakers to bet- less Housing, Assistance and Prevention
linking housing with health care, the legisla- ter track and evaluate the effectiveness of programs, which will collectively deliver
tion names California Health and Human homelessness funding around the state. over half a billion dollars in direct funding
Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly and The California Interagency Council on to Los Angeles.
Business, Consumer Services and Housing Homelessness will also be the entity respon- Leading Indian American Rajendra
Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez sible for receiving, reviewing and ultimately Vora Founder & President of Jain So-
as Co-Chairs of the Council. AB 977 by As- approving homelessness plans submitted cial Group Beverly Hills congratulated
semblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) by cities, counties and Continuums of Care Governor Newsom & Los Angeles May-
implements new data mandates under the as part of the state’s $2 billion local home- or Eric Garcetti after the Bill signing by
state’s Homeless Management Informa- lessness assistance package through the Governor Newsom.

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