In releasing his state budget revision last week, Governor Brown proposed to allocate $250 million in emergency funding to help cities and counties address homelessness, which has reached crisis levels in California. 

Earlier this year, I proudly stood with the mayors of the state's eleven largest cities, including the mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland, to call for $1.5 billion in state matching grants to help local leaders curb homelessness. Pooling state and local money together will result in a $3 billion investment for more beds and services to get as many people off the streets as possible. 

While the Governor's proposal is a step in the right direction, we need more.  With our tax revenues higher than expected, we have an opportunity to invest some of that money on homelessness. The latest federal numbers show California's homeless population has surged to 134,278. Closer to home, San Francisco's count has reached nearly 7,500. We are now the world's fifth largest economy, surpassing Great Britain. What good is that distinction if we can't house our people? In times of prosperity, we shouldn't leave the less fortunate behind.

As Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, I fought for $10 million in the state budget last year for San Francisco to open two new Navigation Centers for the homeless in the coming weeks with more beds and workers to help get folks the help they need. 

With such momentum, we can't stop now. I'll be working with the Governor and my colleagues in the Legislature to see if we can devote more resources to addressing our homeless crisis. Our local leaders can't solve it alone.

Sincerely,

Phil Ting
Assemblymember, 19th District