Governor Gavin Newsom was in San Bernardino yesterday to learn more about the county’s efforts to combat homelessness. The county’s work converting hotels and motels into housing for the homeless was among several initiatives that grabbed his attention. Newsom met with county leaders, formerly homeless people, and service providers at the Arrowhead McKee Family Health Center.
During his campaign last year, Newsom said homelessness would be a priority for his administration. On Tuesday, he said he has been meeting with local leaders across the state to hear innovative solutions, some of which figure to get part of the nearly $2.5 billion in new funding the state has set aside for housing and homelessness programs. Newsom highlighted the county’s work helping homeless people find jobs, saying that mindset is missing in much of the current discussion on homelessness, and in the current state budget. He also said the county’s use of technology during its Point-In-Time Count in January was very important. Leaders of agencies that provide services for the homeless said they’d like to see some money spent to expand mental health services and to speed up the process of providing housing.
