A $2 billion plan to provide shelter for chronically homeless Californians who suffer from mental illness was revealed on Monday by a bipartisan group of state senators. The proposal was unveiled to tackle one of the state's toughest problems, which is homelessness.
The proposal mentioned that the state would use proceeds from a $2 billion bond to construct more than 14,000 permanent housing units for the homeless and would also provide millions of dollars to temporarily house said homeless while the project is still under construction.
It was mentioned that Gov. Jerry Brown, to minimize any impact on the next state budget, would tap into the tax revenue which is collected annually from the top earners of California under 2004's Proposition 63 -- known as the Mental Health Services Act.
Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León said during a news conference in Los Angeles that "Homelessness is not just a social issue that impacts a handful of distressed communities ... It negatively impacts families, businesses, cities and counties in every part of California."
If the proposal would be enacted by the lawmakers, the city and county governments could apply for a portion of the bond proceeds as well as the $200 million funding from the state budget for temporary housing assistance. The plan also calls for increased state spending on grants for aged, blind and disabled Californians who cannot work.
There are a number of homeless people in the US and almost a quarter of them live in California, majority of whom live in Los Angeles. Officials mentioned that this problem is also noticed even in Silicon Valley, where an estimated 4,500 people live on the streets or in encampments each night.
The plan was being cheered by the advocates who were dedicated to ending chronic homelessness in the Bay Area.
Jennifer Loving, an advocate in San Jose who directs the nonprofit Destination: Home, said "In recent years, the state's efforts took a back seat to the heavy lifting local governments did to mitigate homelessness. The issue wasn't a top priority for the state until now. I only wish this proposal had come sooner."
