Homelessness

Increased housing production is key in addressing the homelessness crisis, with an emphasis on building housing that is affordable for low-income residents. A comprehensive approach to increased housing options should include additional interim and long-term solutions such as tiny homes, sanctioned camp sites, RV and car parking locations. We encourage incentives, protecting dedicated local housing funds, and securing partnerships and initiatives to build or repurpose shelter for the unhoused with wraparound services.

While shelter is a critical foundation for services to be effective, the way that Housing First has been implemented, decoupling housing from services, ignores the root causes of homelessness. This has been expensive, ineffective, and is not setting up our community or our most vulnerable for success.

We support aggressive action locally to secure funds for shelter and wraparound services as the first step to getting the homeless back into our society, increased support for local behavioral health (i.e., mental health and substance abuse) services, and best practices advice to local jurisdictions to assist them in grappling with this challenge. This funding must be tied to data and to accountability, prioritizing programs that have demonstrated results, such as the “Be Well” center in Southern California.

Addressing unlawful behavior is not the criminalization of homelessness itself. We support law enforcement efforts to stop and prosecute property and violent crime and to stop risky health and safety conditions throughout the community including our homeless population. We support proposals for conservatorship reform and the institution of conservatorship programs so that those who are unable to make decisions for themselves due to behavioral health issues are provided care rather than left to live on the street.