California Republican leaders ridiculed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s blistering response to a critical analysis of the Golden State’s response to homelessness, saying the increase in homelessness is not worth celebrating.
State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones criticized Newsom, saying the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s year-end homeless assessment report was an indictment of his ability.
“Gavin Newsom has literally lost track of the $27 billion he spent on the homeless crisis,” Jones said, citing the report, which said California ranked first in homelessness with a 3% increase to 187,000 people. did.
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“Today’s HUD report makes clear that Mr. Newsom’s endless spending ‘solution’ has only made things worse, instead of solving them,” said Jones, R-San Diego. said.
Newsom’s office said in a recent statement that the state has “allocated $24 billion to local governments to address homelessness through numerous state programs.”
“All of that money has been accounted for,” the statement continued, apparently referring to funds that Jones claimed were “lost.”
“The audit found that all state programs previously did not require local residents to report how their funds have improved homelessness in recent years, and to compare the effectiveness of one program with another.” It was discovered that the data was missing. This issue has been fixed.
“The current administration has added strong accountability and reporting requirements for local governments that receive state funding. The idea that we don’t know where the money is going is ridiculous and that’s not what the audit reports. ” said in a statement.
The report also said states where family homelessness more than doubled were Illinois, Wyoming, Hawaii and Colorado.
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The California Republican Caucus’ statement was key to Newsom’s recent, sweeping defense of a CalMatters editorial that made similar criticisms.
“In case you missed it, Governor Newsom’s office is having a tantrum over the column and the governor’s history of failure on homelessness,” the caucus, led by Rep. James Gallagher of Yuba City, said in a statement. Shattered,” they jointly wrote.
The CalMatters editorial says Newsom’s response to the homelessness crisis is a key attack on his potential challenger in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary if he chooses to seek higher office. He claimed it would be a point.
The column quoted Newsom as saying, “What’s happening on the streets has to be a top priority,” and said he also intended to hold local officials accountable.
“People need to see and feel progress and change…” Newsom said, according to the column.
Mr. Gallagher’s caucus then cited Mr. Newsom’s response to the column, which consisted of a series of sharp posts.
Newsom’s office account said of the “To talk about it is a clear and simple disservice to Californians.”
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“As the Governor has said many times, the work is not done yet and we need urgency and results at the local level now more than ever. New accountability tools have been introduced, and this is also long-term.” Proposition 1, CARE Court, Conservatorship Reform, and the just-approved BH-Connect. Through the implementation of exemptions, these are all aimed at addressing the systemic problem of homelessness, but are not yet fully online. ”
Newsom’s office also posted that during the waning years of Gov. Edmund “Jerry” Brown’s administration, unsheltered homelessness increased four times faster than under his administration.
“The number of unsheltered homeless people increased by 13.83% during the Newsom administration (2019-2023), but increased by 51.79% in the five years prior to the administration (2015-2019),” the post reads. There is.
California’s 2023 homelessness growth rate of 14% is also lower than the national rate of 21%, the governor’s office added in a statement released just before this year’s numbers.
California saw a 3% increase in homelessness in 2024, according to a statement released over the weekend by Newsom’s office. This rate is the highest among 40 other states, according to the release.
Congressional Republicans responded to Newsom’s initial comments.
“As the Governor engages in gaslighting on this issue, let us state the obvious: A 20% increase is not progress,” their statement reads.
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San Francisco city workers clear a homeless encampment in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood on August 1. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Senate Minority Leader Jones said Friday he co-sponsored a bipartisan bill that would change California’s homelessness policy and focus on “compassionate enforcement” of encampment violations.
One proposal this session that didn’t make it to Newsom’s desk focused on an existing state law that makes it considered disorderly conduct to “overnight” in a public or private place without permission.
The bill would postpone prosecution in the case for 72 hours after initial notification and would impose a “state-mandated community program” on homeless individuals in such situations.
In a separate statement, Newsom said no American should exist without a place to call home.
“Nationwide, the number of homeless people continues to rise more than ever, but in California we are seeing signs of progress,” he said.
“We have turned the tide on decades of homelessness growth, but there is still work to be done. California’s plan is ambitious and challenging, but the data show that it is impossible.” Our strategy is driving positive change.”
Other populous states like New York, Florida, Illinois and Texas also have higher rates of unsheltered homelessness than California, according to the data, but the governor’s office says the increase is less than 1%. .
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduate of Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
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