State Republicans Pressure Newsom For Special Legislative Session On Homelessness Crisis
STUDIO CITY (CBSLA) - With upcoming local elections just months away, homelessness is expected to be one of this year's major issues and now Republicans in Sacramento are pressuring the governor to call a special legislative session on the matter.
"Homelessness is not getting any better. It's getting worse," said Orange County Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen.
Nguyen is among state Republicans leading the effort to call for a special session.
"From 2018 and 2019 alone, we have spent $10.1 billion in total funding. We want an assessment, right? We want to know of all the money that has been spent, where did they go? Have those programs helped or not?" the assemblywoman said.
For those trying to deal with the issue firsthand, the politics don't seem to make a lot of sense.
"We need everybody to collaborate to work on this. It is truly a crisis of epic proportions," said Reverend Andy Bales, President and CEO of the Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row, adding that the homeless crisis should not be a partisan issue.
For years, Bales has said that the issue needs an approach like the kind the Federal Emergency Management Agency would take during a national crisis.
"I did a little math and $10.1 billion could provide 250,000 3-D printed concrete homes that are fire proof and 600 square feet, with a bathroom and a kitchen, totally comfortable, if we move away from the idea of million dollar units," Bales said.
Asked for a comment about the GOP-proposed special session, Governor Gavin Newsom's Office released a statement that reads in part:
"Governor Newsom has made tackling the homelessness crisis a top priority of his administration...Under Governor Newsom, the state is demanding greater accountability and more urgency to get people off the streets than ever before, making historic investments aimed at rebuilding the state's portfolio of housing and treatment options for people with severe behavioral health challenges."
Mayoral candidate and city councilman whose district includes Skid Row, Kevin de León says homelessness is not a Republican or Democrat issue, but an American crisis.
"I can tell you this," de León said when asked what he views as failings when it comes to the issue, "I think that every Angeleno, every Californian has a right to be frustrated, has a right to be angry because, quite frankly, I don't think that folks have utilized the taxpayer dollars in a very wise, prudent manner, making the right investments to get the most bang for the buck."
The latest estimates indicate there are about 70,000 unhoused people living on the streets of Los Angeles County alone, a number that continues to grow. Across the state, the number of homeless skyrockets to more than $160,000.
Assemblywoman Nguyen said Republicans want to work with Democrats to solve the crisis.
"We want to come together with Democrats, and the governor, to solve the homeless problem in California," she said.