Senators Laphonza Butler and Alex Padilla, both Democrats from California, announced slightly over $600 million in federal funding to address the state’s rapidly worsening homelessness epidemic. This comes as authorities are having difficulty controlling the issue, which is made worse by drug addiction and mental illness.
“As we continue our statewide count of people experiencing homelessness, one thing remains clear: We need significantly more federal investment to address this humanitarian crisis,” Padilla said in a statement on Jan. 29.
Butler stated that the money would be “especially important to our youth experiencing homelessness, including unaccompanied and pregnant or parenting youth who will now have more access to programs aimed at preventing homelessness.”
The money is a portion of the Biden administration’s $3.16 billion commitment to charitable
120 California Highway Patrol officers are being sent by Newssom to Oakland in an effort to combat the “alarming” rise in crime.
In the Golden State, the number of homeless people keeps rising even though there are more tax dollars at work. It has the most concentration of homeless persons living outside in the nation, up 6% over the previous year. According to the state’s 2023 count, 181,000 persons were classified as homeless, with the majority having mental health or substance addiction issues.
A University of San Francisco survey conducted last year found that 82% of the state’s homeless population reported having taken drugs or had a mental health issue at some point in their lives.
Chris Moore, a board member of the Bay Rental Housing Association and a candidate for Alameda County supervisor, believes the designated funds “is good,”
