Publication: The Mercury News
Responding to pleas from 11 big-city mayors grappling with the alarming rise of homelessness, California lawmakers on Wednesday announced two proposals that would devote over half of the state’s $6.1 billion budget surplus to the crisis.
A bipartisan bill from Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, and backed by Republican Assemblyman Brian Maienschein of San Diego, calls for a one-time infusion of $1.5 billion in matching funds for cities.
Another proposal would direct $2 billion of the coming year’s budget to cities and counties for affordable housing: Senate Bill 912 from Sen. Jim Beall, D-Campbell, and Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. The two lawmakers also support Ting’s legislation, Assembly Bill 3171.
“We’re hearing loud and clear that this is really the most important issue for cities up and down the state,” said Ting, who heads the Assembly Budget Committee.