WATCH: San Francisco gets $40M to address homelessness

By Chris Woodward
The Center Square

San Francisco is getting new state funding for homelessness and mental health services.

Speaking Friday at a San Francisco event titled “Treatments, Not Tents,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said this will build on the state’s recent 9% reduction in unsheltered homelessness.

“Extraordinary progress is being made in San Francisco,” Newsom, a Democrat, told reporters at a news conference with Mayor Daniel Lurie. “It’s not just the data that’s presented, people are feeling it again, they’re experiencing it again, and that’s the most difficult perhaps thing to move, and that’s perception, and no one has done that more effectively than Mayor Lurie.”

The state is giving $419 million to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program. HHAP is designed to assist local efforts to end homelessness through support services as well as interim and permanent housing.

These funds add to those from Proposition 1, a voter-approved initiative to help communities in their efforts to combat housing, mental, and behavioral health problems.

Of the $419 million, $328.8 million will go to Los Angeles. San Diego will receive $50,9 million. And $39.9 million will go to San Francisco, where Mayor Lurie, a Democrat who describes himself as a centrist, said the city is already “changing its approach to homelessness” to get people off the street and on a path to stability.

“We launched our Breaking the Cycle plan to bring together health services, social services, law enforcement and emergency responders,” said Lurie. “We combined nine different neighborhood outreach teams into one, breaking down silos and increasing shelter placements by 40% this past year.”

Lurie also pointed to new legislation that moves families living in RVs into housing and restores public spaces.

“Just this past year, we opened 600 new treatment-focused beds so people on the street can get inside and get help,” said Lurie. “In December, we reached a record low number of encampments, down 44% over the prior year.”

Lurie said the new resources from the state are “crucial,” whether it is Proposition One, HHAP dollars or funding to make sure freeway off-ramps and on-ramps are clean.

“So, governor, thank you for providing us with real money that funds real solutions for people exiting homelessness throughout our community,” said Lurie.