Care, and homelessness. From the state assembly chamber, this is 45 minutes. [applause] [applause] gov. Newsom thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you. You know how long these things go. Why dont we sit down . I am tempted to make some comments about being lieutenant governor. [laughter] gov. Newsom but dont do it. Alright, i wont make any. But thank you for your introduction. And thank you, mr. Speaker, for welcoming me to your house. Madam pro tem, members of the legislature, fellow californians, thank you once again for the privilege of this podium. Traditionally, this is where governors stand before you and report with practiced grandiosity that the state of our state is strong and getting stronger. And largely, that is still true. And proudly, we still are americas coming attraction. By nearly every metric, the state of california is not just thriving, but in many instances, leading the country, inventing the future, and inspiring the nation. We remain the fifth largest economy in the world, enjoying 118 consecutive months of net job growth. Some 3. 4 million jobs have been created since the great recession. And 4 million Small Businesses call california their home. More than half of all u. S. Venture capital still flows to california companies. And we have averaged 3. 8 growth in gdp over five years. I say this respectfully. Compare that to the 2. 5 national gdp growth. [applause] gov. Newsom the thing about the state today, it is an energizing, modernizing, pluralizing, unionizing, nationstate of opportunity. Just consider one in seven new american jobs added to our economy since 2010 have been created right here in the state of california. Respectfully, when you hear the boasts, bleats, and tweets of washington politicians tripping over themselves to take credit for the economy, remember the real v. I. P. s of americas gdp, the millions of california workers, investors, and entrepreneurs who are actually producing their own california dreams. [applause] gov. Newsom working together, we have built record reserves , including the largest Rainyday Fund in state history. [applause] gov. Newsom weve achieved the highest Credit Rating in nearly two decades. And weve disappeared the infamous wall of debt, following the prudent principle of never spending more money than we take in. California is the rocket fuel powering americas resurgence, that, let me be clear, began under the leadership of barack obama. [applause] [cheers and applause] gov. Newsom dont worry, i am not going to get much more partisan than that. I said much more partisan. [laughter] gov. Newsom but even so, california never stands still and never rests on its laurels. Last year, this is the speakers spirit, we worked in Historic Partnership to achieve historic progress. Together, we addressed some of the most stubborn issues and built brighter futures for millions of californians. Those achievements cannot be fully appreciated as line items in a budget or bill numbers that cross a desk. We see it in the faces of dreamers and doers across our remarkable state. And in the patients who have new, Affordable Access to primary care, provided by doctors who look like them, know their culture, speak their language, and understand their story. In the First Responders putting badges on uniforms and their lives on the line, knowing that now california has the best and bestresourced wildfire programs. [applause] gov. Newsom in the working parent with more money in her pocket, thanks to expanded paid family leave. [applause] gov. Newsom a thousanddollar tax credit, and lower costs due to taxfree diapers and tampons. [applause] gov. Newsom in the High School Student who is planning a more promising future with two free years of community college. [applause] gov. Newsom in the College Athletes who will finally have the opportunity to be justly compensated for their own name, image, and likeness. [applause] gov. Newsom one bill would change the rule. And in the central valley, they are finally getting the economic attention it deserves. And communities finally getting safe and clean drinking water. [applause] gov. Newsom and in neighborhoods breathing a little bit easier, thanks to californias Landmark Partnership with leading automakers. And, if voters approve it, we may soon see more School Buildings newly free of lead and toxic mold, thanks to a bipartisan state school bond. [applause] gov. Newsom in city after city, household after household, the hard work of this legislature is making dreams more real for more californians than ever before. When Justice Brandeis wrote in 1932 that a single courageous state may serve as the laboratory of democracy, he could easily have been referencing california today. But because, unlike the washington plutocracy, california isnt satisfied serving a powerful few on one side of the velvet rope. The california dream is for all. And to that end, there are 1. 6 million fewer californians today living in poverty than there were in 2011. That is one quarter of the nations decrease. In just this state alone. [applause] gov. Newsom no amount of progress, though, can camouflage the most pernicious crisis in our midst, the ultimate manifestation of poverty homelessness. And thats why im devoting todays remarks to this crisis. Lets call it what it is, a disgrace, that the richest state in the richest nation, succeeding across so many sectors, is falling so far behind to properly house, heal, and humanely treat so many of its own people. Every day, the california dream is dimmed by the wrenching reality of families, children, and seniors living unfed on a concrete bed. Military veterans who wore the uniform of our country in a foreign land, abandoned here at home. Lgbtq youth fleeing abuse and rejection from their families and communities. Faces of despair failed by our countrys leaders and our nations institutions. As californians, we pride ourselves on our unwavering sense of compassion and justice for humankind, but theres nothing compassionate about allowing fellow californians to live on the streets, huddled in cars or makeshift encampments. [applause] gov. Newsom and theres nothing [applause] [applause] gov. Newsom and theres nothing just about sidewalks and street corners that arent safe and clean for everybody. The problem has persisted for decades, caused by massive failures in our Mental Health system, disinvestment in our social safety net, exacerbated by widening income inequality, and californias housing shortage. The hard truth is for too long we have ignored this problem. We turned away when it wasnt our sister, or brother, our neighbor, or our friend. When it was a loved one, not there. Ten, was most of us experienced a pang of guilt, not a call to action. Back in 2005, when we did the first point in time count, there were over 188,000 people that were homeless in the state of california. Thats 35,000 more than we have today. And even at that peak, the state did not treat the issue with the urgency required. Since then, its become almost normalized, concentrated over years in skid rows and tent cities and big urban centers. But now, its no longer isolated. In fact, some of the most troubling increases have been in rural areas, small towns in remote parts of our state. No place is immune. No person is untouched. And too often, no one wants to even take responsibility. I even heard a local official recently proclaim loudly, not my problem. Servants of the public that are too damn busy pointing fingers to step up and help. Thats shameful. After all, every homeless californian [applause] gov. Newsom it is shameless. Gov. Newsom every homeless californian living on the boulevard of broken dreams is a casualty of institutional failures, a person who has fallen through every possible hole in the safety net. Look, homelessness impacts everyone, but not equally. Some communities have been hit much harder. Urban renewal and gentrification broke up communities of color and throttled their abilities to move into the middle class. These are systemic issues rooted in poverty and racial discrimination. [applause] gov. Newsom black californians comprise 8 percent of l. A. Countys population, but 42 of its homelessness. A recent poll found nearly one half, one of every two latinos in this state are afraid that they or a Family Member could become homeless. The state of california can no longer treat homelessness as someone elses problem, buried below other priorities that are much easier to win or better suited for soundbites. It is our responsibility, and it must be top of our agenda. [applause] [applause] gov. Newsom folks, lets talk about this. The crisis was not created overnight and is not going to be solved overnight, or even in a year. But as a state, we must do everything we can to ensure no californian is homeless. Weve got to replace californias scattershot approach with a more focused crisislevel response. So in order to meet this moment with the commitment it demands, were committed to advancing a new framework. Number one, we will reduce street homelessness quickly and humanely through emergency actions. We will be laser focused on getting the mentally ill out of tents and into treatment. We will provide Stable Funding to get sustainable results. And we will tackle the underproduction of Affordable Housing in california. And we will do all of this [applause] gov. Newsom we will do all of this with real accountability and real consequences. [applause] gov. Newsom lets talk about what we started with. First, we started with emergency actions to do whatever we can now to make an immediate, tangible impact. After decades of neglect, we are putting our entire State Government on notice to respond with urgency. Last month, i issued an executive order to deploy emergency housing trailers and services for homeless families and seniors. These first trailers have been deployed in oakland and l. A. County. [applause] gov. Newsom the next group of trailers are headed as we speak to santa clara, riverside, contra costa, sonoma counties, and the city of stockton. [applause] gov. Newsom that same executive order builds on our work last year to identify all excess state land. Today, we are making 286 state properties, vacant lots, fairgrounds, armories, and other state buildings to be used by local governments for free for homeless solutions. Those are available today. [applause] gov. Newsom in addition to that, weve also directed caltrans to make better use of other unoccupied space to get Homeless Housing up as fast as possible. We have great examples under development in that space, already in San Francisco, oakland, san jose, and los angeles. And were able to move faster than ever before on leases, these land transfers, because weve established a new strike team across agencies and State Government. Health and human services, caltrans, chp, all with one goal, to breakthrough bureaucratic barriers. As the state moves fast, theyll they also have to move together, with cities and counties, as critical allies in addressing this emergency. Two months ago, we issued a 100 day challenge to local partners to focus on one part of their Homeless Population and address it with intentionality. Dozens of communities, im proud to say, across the state are stepping up. But as we continue these emergency actions, we also have to eliminate these roadblocks to housing and shelter. Last year, because of your leadership, i was very proud to sign two important bills. One, streamline the permitting process for Navigation Centers statewide. And second, exempt all shelters and Homeless Housing from Environmental Review in our most popular city, los angeles. [applause] gov. Newsom this year, i hope that we can expand by working together to expand this law and extend it to all homeless shelters and Supportive Housing statewide. [applause] gov. Newsom we need more housing, no more delays. Were also pushing for new models of Homeless Housing, like hotel motel conversions, like prefab and tiny homes. And as we do that, we cut the red tape to get to yes on these innovative approaches. And while we take emergency measures to increase shelter and services, we must also comprehensively address the hardest part of this problem. Thats the chronically homeless. These are folks out on the street and sidewalks for over a year, with complex Behavioral Health issues. For centuries, the default treatment was confinement in asylums, where people deteriorated out of sight. In the 1940s and in the 1950s, our nation began the trend towards deinstitutionalization. There was not a single policy. It was a series of policies. Outrage over conditions and in institutions as well as the creation of new medications like lithium helped treat the mentally ill, and it sparked a movement to treat people in their communities rather than locking them away. California passed an act in 1957 to Fund CommunityMental Health services. Federal government too pushed this worthy cause. President kennedy envisioned a system in which, in his words, the reliance on the cold mercy of custodial isolation will be supplemented by the open warmth of community concern. State mental hospitals were closed, but the promise of community Mental Health was never fully realized. States were burdened with the responsibility, but provided little in the way of support. Laws were changed to make it harder to compel Mental Health treatment as well. Thengovernor Ronald Reagan signed an act in 1967 designed to end the commitment with commitment for people with Mental Illness. And critically, often forgotten, in 1975, the u. S. Supreme court decision, oconnor versus donaldson, ruled that Mental Illness alone could not justify a state locking a person up against his will. All of these changes coincided with safety net cuts, block grants, and tightened eligibility standards in the 1980s and 1990s, along with the wholesale razing of skid rows and sros which for so many were the only Housing Options they could afford. The cumulative impact made county jails the de facto Mental Health institutions. Patients and their families were left with inadequate options to get the mental help they needed. And in a politically polarized world, liberals and conservatives blamed one another for these failures. Historically speaking, though, both are right. Its time to stop pointing fingers and join hands in a transformational solution. [applause] gov. Newsom lets talk about that. Lets talk about that. This year, we have proposed a onceinalifetime reform of our medical system, based on the longignored principle that physical health and brain health are inextricably linked. After all [applause] gov. Newsom after all, 10 million californians, 10 million californians, one in four, suffer from some type of Behavioral Health condition. This is not a narrow issue, nor a new one. The deeper truth is that our Health Care System has been designed to treat some of our parts, not the sum of our parts, and that must change. [applause] gov. Newsom this landmark proposal calls for leveraging medical as a tool to help californias most vulnerable residents, the homeless, our children, and people cycling in and out of our criminal justice system. Its about integrating care, targeting social determinants of health, and expanding our whole person care pilots statewide. [applause] gov. Newsom health care [applause] gov. Newsom health care and housing can no longer be divorced. After all, what is more fundamental to a persons wellbeing than a roof over their head . Doctors should be able to write prescriptions for housing the same way they do for insulin and antibiotics. [applause] gov. Newsom why not . [applause] gov. Newsom and thats the aim. Transforming our medical system as we know it, and we backed it up with a 695 million budget request to make it real this year. Now [applause] gov. Newsom of course, all of this, all of this relies and hinges on an individual being capable of accepting health get help to get off the streets and into treatment in the first place. Some, as we know, tragically, are not. Thats why we need better legal tools, ones that allow local toviders and Law Enforcement help them access treatment they need. Californias Behavioral Health laws may have been ahead of their time, but today, they call out for reform. We must tailor these policies to reflect the realities of street homelessness today, which is so different than 50 years ago or even 15 years ago, when these laws were enacted. And while we made progress on limited and general conservatorships last year, further improvements, from my perspective, are warranted. [applause] gov. Newsom all within the bounds of deep respect, always for Civil Liberties and personal freedoms, but with an equal emphasis on helping people into the lifesaving treatment they need at the precise moment they need it. [applause] gov. Newsom clearly, it is time to respond to the concerns of experts who agree that thresholds for conservatorships are too high and need to be revisited. Take lauras law, which allows loved ones and Service Providers to ask courts to compel those who need treatment into communitybased outpatient care. The problem is, its too hard to use. We need to remove some of the conditions imposed on the counties trying to implement the law so they can expand new benefits. [applause] gov. Newsom and with housing conservatorships, we need to authorize counties throughout the state to establish these programs, like the one that was recently developed in San Francisco. Look, that said, not naive about this, that said, we know that the most urgent issue is not the legal inability to conserve people, but the unavailability of housing and care for those who most need it. [applause] newsom i recognize policies and empty promise without creating more placements. And one clear opportunity to do this is by reforming proposition 63, the Mental Health service act. [applause] as written, as written, its resources often dont reach the people who need it the most. Were not proposing changing the funding formula for how much each county gets, rather reform must focus funding on street homelessness, at risk and foster youth, and those involved in the criminal justice system. [applause] gov. Newsom and we need to expand the kind of services it can pay for, specifically addiction treatment. And we also need to stop tolerating open drug use on our streets. [applause] additionally, we should compel counties to spend more of what theyve got by lowering the 33 reserve threshold that theyre allowed to hold back. [applause] gov. Newsom get this. This is interesting. Even with the current threshold, 40 out of 58 counties are above that line. Thats over 160 million unspent that could go to get people off the street and into treatment. So my message is this. Spend your Mental Health dollars by june 30 of this year, or we will make sure those dollars get spent for you. [applause] gov. Newsom thats 160 million today. Weve got to get serious about this stuff. [applause] gov. Newsom you guys get it. Its about accountability. Matching resources to results. For too long, there were no requirements for progress. The entire system has been voluntary. I want to thank my counsel of homeless advisors for bringing consequences to the forefront of this discussion. Its time to match our bighearted empathy with tightfisted accountability. [applause] gov. Newsom in just the last two years, because of your leadership, the last two years, 1. 5 billion has been allocated to help local governments solve homelessness. This includes 600 million that aid650 million emergency that you recently approved. Up until now, state aid has been blocked granted to local governments by formula. Spending decisions have been relatively unrestricted and locally driven, but respectfully, the problem has gotten worse. And the results speak for themselves. This moment cries out for a new approach. And in the budget i just submitted, i proposed a new approach, a New California access to housing fund, and with it, a whole new way of investing in homeless solutions. We have a clear purpose for this fund, paying for what works. Gap financing for Innovative Housing models like hotel, motel conversions and securing vacant units wherever we can find them, stabilizing and expanding board and care homes, and preventing homelessness in the first place through rent subsidies and rapid rehousing to help people one job loss, one illness, away from homelessness. [applause] gov. Newsom with this nations first statewide housing fund, we can start bringing together state and philanthropic dollars, as well as health care, Mental Health, and social services, paying for housing, but not overhead by capping the administrative cost of the funds at just 10 . Thats important. [applause] gov. Newsom the whole idea is to be nimble and flexible and to evolve from best practices to next practices, and always with an eye on deep regional coordination and clear metrics, number of new leases signed, number of new Housing Units converted or built, number of people stabilized with rent subsidies, number of people moved off the streets. [applause] gov. Newsom so to get us started, to get us started, im asking this legislature to invest an unprecedented 750 million to get this fund up and running. Based on the severity of the crisis, we need early legislative action to set up the Legal Authority to enter into the contract and Service Providers now. And thats why i am asking you not to wait months, because we dont have months. The public has lost patience. I know youve lost patience. Ive lost patience. In order to reverse decades of neglect, in order to turn things around, though, a crisis this deeprooted, were also going to need more than just onetime funding. Were going to need significant, sustainable revenue. [applause] gov. Newsom its the truth. I know this is always the toughest thing. So in the next few months, ive pledged to work with all of you closely to identify where this ongoing revenue will come from. But weve got to find it to provide safer, cleaner streets, the communities that we represent, deserve. Its time to muster the political will to meet this moment. People of california, you know this, are demanding bold, permanent solutions. Anything less is not going to get the job done. In order to get the job done, weve got to match this new money with a new legal obligation to address the crisis headon, requiring [applause] gov. Newsom requiring, requiring that any new funding isnt replacing existing spending, but creating new solutions. Some have recommended a legal right to shelter. I know its a provocative idea, which has forced the state to explore the limit of what local governments can be compelled to do. But right now, our imperative i believe must be about bringing governments together as working partners, not sparring partners in a court of law. [applause] gov. Newsom so instead, we are proposing strict accountability, comprehensive audits, and a do it or lose it policy to hold local governments responsible for results. [applause] gov. Newsom take action. Or youre going to lose the new funding. In order to track the progress, we are committed to developing and establishing a unified homelessness data system to capture accurate local information. Because at the end of the day, you cant manage what you dont measure. Its time for the failed policy of not my problem to be replaced with one of shared responsibility across every sector and every community. Now look, im not naive, not one city, not one county, not even one state can shoulder this alone. This is a national crisis. Federal decisionmaking contributed to this moment. And our federal government has an obligation to match its rhetoric with specific, constructive, and deliverable results. [applause] gov. Newsom california has ill repeat that california has and will continue to extend its partnership to washington seeking to address this issue. Honestly, this partnership should be a given. But empty words and symbolic gestures wont mask a 15 hudstheboard cut to budget. Im old enough, many of you are in this room, as well, im old enough to remember when hud was in the housing business. And i am hopeful one day they will be again. [applause] gov. Newsom after all, you know, after all, homelessness isnt a blue or red issue. Its an everyone issue, a blight on the soul of america. Of course, the fundamental Building Block of californias solution has to be more housing, a comprehensive response. [applause] newsom the collective benefit is just simply not to build enough. We dont build housing for people of all income levels. And as a consequence, weve worsened the homeless crisis. [applause] gov. Newsom its a vicious cycle, and we own it. The only Sustainable Way out of it is to massively increase Housing Production in the state of california. [applause] gov. Newsom its the only way out. At least we all agree on that. [applause] gov. Newsom so, you know, lets match our courage on homelessness with our courage on housing supply. Last year, we made an historic investment of one point five 7 1. 57 billion investment, billions of dollars to boost production, a part of p7 billion dollarsplus you all approved on Affordable Housing. We secured new judicial penalties against cities who dont zone plan and do their fair share. To get housing. We protected tenants like never before, finally outlawing discrimination against people who have housing vouchers. [applause] gov. Newsom we created a Permanent Fund to provide Legal Assistance to atrisk tenants. And historically, we worked together to crack down on rent spikes and unjust evictions, passing the nations strongest statewide renter protection. [applause] gov. Newsom that was a big deal, folks. That was a big deal. And thanks to your leadership, last year, i was privileged to sign 18 bills to boost Housing Production. But time and time again, bigger, bolder reform. It hasnt happened, in part, legitimately in part because of concerns that are not makebelieve. Many of our lowest income residents, understandably, worry about being pushed out of their communities because of gentrification. Middleclass homeowners, they worry about their singlefamily home losing its value. Its a scary prospect. Given the house is often the familys biggest asset. Those are real concerns and they should not be brushed aside. At the same time, we also know that the status quo is simply unacceptable. We are not building enough housing. I get cities need to meet their housing goals in a way that matches their community. But doing nothing is no longer an option. [applause] gov. Newsom it cant be. As a former mayor, i respect local control, but not at the cost of creating a two california class system. Not at the cost of impairing the california dream. And thats what were doing. They cannot be at the cost. [applause] gov. Newsom look at whats happening. We have to wake up to this reality. We have to step up our game. [applause] gov. Newsom we have to grow communities so people can live, work, thrive, spend more time with their families, less time in traffic. [applause] gov. Newsom so this means, this means a commitment right now, this year, to major reform that will eliminate redtape and delays for building critically needed housing, like affordable multifamily homes, especially near transit and downtown. [applause] gov. Newsom i am committed. I am committed. I am committed to work with the leaders of the senate and assembly on these reforms. Our objectives are clear. Increase density in a way that promotes equity, affordability, and inclusion, to increase certainty that units planned become units built in a way that respects, always, our environmental and labor protections. And to hold local governments accountable to both of these pillars, more certainty. It is time, time for california to say yes to housing. We can no longer wait. [applause] gov. Newsom so so thats the challenge before us. And those are tough choices, but weve got to make them. Overcoming adversity and tackling intractable problems are as ingrained in californias character as our sunkissed coast and breadbasket valley. With homelessness, i also know that it can be done, because ive seen success along the way. 15 years ago, when i was mayor of San Francisco in the face of long oz and stiff opposition, we established bringing Government Services directly to people. Its been wildly successful, adopted in over 250 cities across our nation. Last year, i went back and i spoke with a man by the name of richard oliva. Four years ago, richard was homeless, drug addicted, and seeking medical help at one of the neighborhood fairs. Thanks to this program, richard got clean, obtained disability support, and moved into subsidized permanent housing. This time, he was back as a volunteer. For three years. [applause] gov. Newsom for three years now, hes been back volunteering, passing out free reading glasses to people in need. While i was there, richard hugged me, tears in his eyes, came up and said thanks to this program, i now have a home of my own. I am proud that richard made it up here today. Richard, would you stand . [applause] [cheers and applause] gov. Newsom richards story reminds us there are no lost causes in our california communities. It says in during a california value that every californian has value. So when critics tell you homelessness cant be solved, introduce them to people like richard and thousands of others that are living testament that it can. I dont think homelessness can be solved. I know that homelessness can be solved. [applause] gov. Newsom lets all rise to the challenge to make california stand up. Lets be an example. Lets all get to work. Thank you, guys. Thats all. [applause] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [indistinguishable conversations] [indistinguishable conversations] cspan, your unfiltered view of government. Created by cable in 1979 and brought to you today by your television provider. Right now, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are on their way to india for their First Official visit to the country. Mahatmay, they visit gandhis place for communal living. Then, he attends a rally held at the largest cricket stadium. Welcomeay, a formal ceremony will be held at the president ial palace in new delhi followed by a wreathlaying at the gandhi memorial. And President Trump holds a press conference with the prime minister. As he was leaving for india, the president spoke with reporters at the white house. President trump goorn