CALIFORNIA VOTERS COULD SANCTION CITIES
FOR NOT HOUSING THE HOMELESS
V
oters will no have to decide if California cities will be punished for not reducing the growing rate of homelessness. The public and political pressure on housing and homelessness have been increasing over the recent past, and to counter the challenges, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed a task force recommending that the local government face tough new legal sanctions for failing to make
progress, especially on homelessness. The 13-member Council of Regional Homeless Advisors led by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas wants the legislators to amend the California Constitution to make the policy legal and enforceable. They want to present it to the voters as a statewide ballot measure in November.
they do not get people off the streets, including a possible loss of local control. “We’ve tried moral persuasion. We’ve tried economic incentives,” Steinberg said. “But all of it’s optional. Why should this be optional? It shouldn’t be. It mustn’t be. Thousands of people are dying on the streets, and people are telling us this is a priority.”
If the legislature is approved by the voters, the mandate would be to allow the state to sue the cities and counties, even itself, if the number of homeless people doesn’t
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decline. The council argues that the state needs to carry a big stick to convince the local governments that they will face consequences in case
The members of the task force are yet to disclose exactly what the sanctions would be or would look like, however, we speculate that the cities could lose control over how they spend state funds locally. The Gov agrees with the recommendations but
THE POWER IS NOW MAGAZINE | MARCH 2020
