Richard was also Legislative Director for Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi and served as a Legislative Consultant for the California State Senate Insurance and Budget and Fiscal Review Committees. Q: Describe what it was like in the governors office when the pandemic hit and you realized we could be dealing with a potentially devastating health crisis for our homeless population? Hopefully were starting to see more economic recovery coming out of COVID, although I do think its going to be a very uneven recovery, she said. We couldnt control the outcome of the mayoral election, and my advice to staff and department heads was: Dont try to do that. Yes, it has. Q: How did the impact of the pandemic, and the response, differ in the states two regions with the worst homelessness crises the Bay Area, and Los Angeles? More by Manuela Tobias, Jason Elliott, Gov. In response, Fowler agreed that California, like the rest of the country, faces a severe shortage of labor, union or otherwise. But with so many other cost drivers such as skyrocketing lumber prices wages arent the problem. Elliott said he was watching with glee the Biden administrations $5 billion proposal as part of his infrastructure planto encourage local governments to end exclusionary zoningand other practices. With a proposed budget of $4.3 million, the unit would hold cities feet to the fire when they break existing housing law, and help them take advantage of laws already in place that streamline regulations and permits. And they want more clarity around the role of the supporter, who they said would serve more as court agents than personal advocates. The State Building and Construction Trades Council has pushed to include a requirement in housing bills that would force the new units to be built with union labor. No, we shouldnt build there, Elliott said. As health officials scrambled last March with shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of COVID-19, Jason Elliott wastacklinganother seemingly overwhelming problem: How do we keep the more than 100,000 Californians sleeping on our streets from dying of the virus? To move the needle, Elliott pitched the statewide Housing Accountability Unit, which Newsom proposed in his January budget. Elliott has worked in government his whole career, and he met his wife in Gavin Newsoms administration, when Newsom was mayor of San Francisco. The Newsom administration says the excess land plan will help offset shelter costs for cities and counties at least, those willing to seek the help. Elliott said that the governor remains committed to the principles of housing first and that CARE Court would be one of many ways a person could access shelter. Homekey was able to produce 6,000 units in six months, at a third of the cost, in about a fifth of the amount of time it typically takes. That has some worried, California judges could order help for homeless Californians under Newsoms new plan, poor reviews on efforts to stem the homelessness crisis, What we know about Newsoms plan to compel care for homeless, mentally ill Californians, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Best coffee city in the world? Is it the only thing we have to do to solve homelessness? He spearheaded two programs that together wound up being one of the states biggest feats during the unprecedented pandemic. He highlighted $12 billion in the governors budget proposal for housing and homelessness and $1.75 billion to kick-start building on more than 6,000 of backlogged affordable housing units. Our behavioral health system is stretched very thin.. Today, he announced: Jamie Callahan, 33, of Sacramento,has been appointedDeputy Cabinet Secretary. But nowhere near the levels that I mentioned to you a moment ago we were fearing would come to pass. Logman is a Democrat. And the type of housing available is just as important as how much of it there is, said L.A. Family Housing President and CEO Stephanie Klasky-Gamer. UCLA nurses want end to COVID-era overcrowding in hospital halls and rooms On the eviction moratorium, Wicks said she was working closely with Assemblymember David Chius office to make sure tenants are protected but landlords receive missed back rent. Honestly sometimes when something is working, you dont tinker with it. Newsom, wrapping up his week . But the advocates are concerned about more than the courts and housing. But nowhere near the levels that I mentioned to you a moment ago we were fearing would come to pass. You know, we practice the earthquake. Certainly there have been outbreaks on Skid Row, certainly there have been outbreaks in some of the homeless facilities in the Tenderloin in San Francisco. Turning money into beds takes years in my experience, Bell said, adding that there will be this gap period where the $1.5 billion has not translated into thousands of new beds.. Hironakahas most recently served as Deputy Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). State Sen. Susan Eggman, a Stockton Democrat and one of the authors of SB 1338, said she would modify the bill to address certain concerns before then, but on some issues, were just going to have to agree to disagree., It is a work in progress, she said. Hironaka is a Democrat. Gov. He said the question of how to close the homeless spigot is motivating them to think bigger and be more aggressive. As health officials scrambled last March with shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of COVID-19, Jason Elliott wastacklinganother seemingly overwhelming problem: How do we keep the more than 100,000 Californians sleeping on our streets from dying of the virus? It's scheduled to increase slightly for inflation on July 1. The governors new plan to create a court-ordered treatment effort is being sharply criticized by anti-poverty groups and civil libertarians. I will be reviewing the legislation very closely and recommending any amendments necessary to ensure that CARE Courts can truly help those most in need, while not unduly limiting their constitutionally guaranteed rights, he wrote. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100,008. Gavin Newsom unveiled a far-reaching effort to push more people into court-ordered treatment for severe mental illness and addiction, homeless advocates are calling it legally misguided and immoral as the proposals first public hearing at the state Capitol has been delayed. Has it helped us flatten the curve more broadly in California and protect our hospitals from overcrowding? Are sale-leasebacks still a viable option? Can Newsom build on pandemic lessons to end homelessness? Its a part of the population that has been suffering and languishing for so long, many of whom have been on the streets for literally years and years and some decades and at great peril to themselves, Sherin said. %PDF-1.7 % 2. Elliott said that while the state can build housing for people experiencing homelessness and the very poor, the private sector is essential to easing the housing shortage. We want to move, and we want to move quickly, Newsom said during a recent interview on KQED. Jason Elliott, Newsom's top housing advisor, said the governor's budget interlaces housing, cost-of-living and climate policies to simultaneously address California's top issues. He comes from a family committed to public service. We are using the states money to invest in one of the states top priorities homelessness. Gavin Newsom, Elliott serves as the governors top housing and homelessness adviser. "x|.gpr9w5+9VD34[1d3 k=D.$Y+P&@H)1IPv&cN}`r=(s6hYp4r>]dV>:pvV5R"F-"0%4X=?>RYQ;:h]"{A'`MW;J And at that point, we were modeling a 56% attack rate for the virus, meaning that we expected 56% of Californians would get coronavirus at some point during the outbreak. The policy differences? Manuela is the housing reporter for CalMatters. Gavin Newsom Age: 37 Born: New York City, but grew up in Palo Alto Current home: Sacramento Family: Lives with his wife and their 15-month-old. Project Roomkey has sheltered more than 35,000 homeless Californians in hotels and motels throughout the state, giving people over 65 or with medical conditions a safer place to ride out the pandemic. Elliott: The job of a chief of staff is to implement the vision of the mayor that he or she works for. So, Im gonna miss the troubleshooting with departments and mayor staff. And it was one of the hardest days and some of the hardest weeks of my life, and I hope will be the hardest weeks of my life. Because for every person you bring inside, thats a person who has a sister whos worried about her. Gavin Newsom. In response, Jason Elliott, Newsom's top advisor on homelessness, said "every effort would be made to get them indoors." . Within hours, Lee died -- and Elliot had to step up to help keep the city running. Steer more federal dollars into homeless response. But he welcomed the proposal as a move in the right direction to prioritize resources for Californias most vulnerable residents, even if the initiative involves growing pains.. People have had it. The governor also has political incentives to quickly install CARE Courts. Secretly, he still does. Jason Elliott, Newsom's deputy chief of staff, said the governor's "hope and expectation is that this will be going out in short order." However, he added that the ball was in the court of . Health | Newsom has proposed pausing that increase for one year, a move that would save drivers about $1.30 per month, according to Transportation California, a nonpartisan business and labor coalition. Newsom touted the CARE Court framework last month as an innovative strategy to guide an estimated 7,000 to 12,000 people into housing and much-needed treatment. Senior Counselor On Housing at Newsom. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. But it takes time to build capacity, said Phebe Bell, behavioral health director for Nevada County and the president of the County Behavioral Health Directors Assn. Were putting out more homeless housing through this program than we probably do in several years under normal circumstances. We are using the states money to invest in one of the states top priorities homelessness. We're not always successful," Jason Elliott, Newsom's top advisor on homelessness, told CapRadio after the speech. The groups often have significant sway among liberal legislative Democrats, the kind of influence that could hinder Newsoms hopes for a new law to be in place by July 1. A lot of smaller cities are not just making this San Francisco and Oaklands problem. He said the governor would generally support any move to change the default to yes on more housing. He spearheaded two programs that together wound up being one of the states biggest feats during the unprecedented pandemic. But the bill may face a major hurdle once its heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee. And that can mean big vision things, and it also means the day-to-day of running a city. Jason Elliott, Newsom's top housing and homelessness advisor, said Monday that the administration expected some opposition to the proposal. Elliott sat down for an exit interview with KQED politics reporter Marisa Lagos. Q: As a result of Homekey, the state has added more than 6,000 new long-term housing units in less than six months. Elliott was joined on the virtual panel, moderated by CalMatters, by Jennifer Svec, legislative advocate for the California Association of Realtors; Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, a Democrat from the East Bay; and Adam Fowler, research director at Beacon Economics, all of whom agreed that a supply shortage was largely responsible for ballooning home prices. Have it become a fundamental part of addressing homelessness in California. There is a crisis on our streets.. Q: What percent of Project Roomkey clients have exited to permanent housing? Ive been really encouraged by the warm embrace of local leaders on Homekey. Logmanwas most recently the Deputy Secretary for Business and Consumer Relations atthe CaliforniaBusiness, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. Local governments face sanctions if they do not comply with program requirements. Newsom also proposed $1.5 billion in this years budget to boost Californias behavioral health housing stock and has funneled billions more toward housing options for people experiencing homelessness. During a panel discussion hosted by Capitol Weekly on Wednesday, Jason Elliott, Newsom's top advisor on housing and homelessness, provided a glimpse. Many affordable housing developers argue there just isnt the available workforce so that mandate would only increase the cost of construction. We have exploded in bringing more interim housing beds online. 3. And he warned against efforts to rush the bill through the legislative process without proper public input and scrutiny. With this $1.75 billion (the governor proposed spending $1.75 billion on homeless housing, including $750 million to continue Homekey) we want to create this momentum behind Homekey and not have it be a one-time thing. He is married to Nicole Elliott, director of the state Department of Cannabis Control. By clicking subscribe, you agree to the Terms. ', San Diego Gun Store Owner Sentenced in Firearms Sales Case Involving Ex-Deputy, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Thats goal number one.. a{ b8&F=>TVFPQn r endstream endobj 23 0 obj <>/Metadata 3 0 R/Outlines 7 0 R/Pages 20 0 R/StructTreeRoot 10 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences 41 0 R>> endobj 24 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 1441.5 891.38]/Parent 20 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 25 0 obj <>stream Newsom also attached accountability measures to the program, including sanctions for local governments that dont comply with program requirements and diverting people into stricter conservatorships or letting their paused criminal cases continue if they fail to meet their CARE plan obligations. Gavin Newsom Age: 37 Born: New York City, but grew up in Palo Alto Current home: Sacramento Family: Lives with his wife and their 15-month-old. But we can never let ourselves be stopped by feeling like were not making an impact. Marisa Kendall is a housing reporter for the Bay Area News Group who covers homelessness for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. We expected to have hard conversations with entrenched stakeholders.. Deputy Chief of Staff, Governor Gavin Newsom Greater . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court, Newsoms new push for homeless mental health treatment lacks details. A governors signature does not build new units, he said. They cant take whats happening on the streets and sidewalks. California weighs $360,000 in reparations to eligible Black residents, Majority of Hispanic Americans own a homeas incomes rise, Racial homeownership gap larger now than a decade ago, funded at least through September of this year, California Republicans give a boost to Florida Gov. Timing is also a key decision for Newsom. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. . Jason Elliott had been chief of staff to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee for only about six months when he got the call last December that Lee was in the hospital. California's gas tax is 51.1 cents per gallon, the second highest in the nation. But the question is are we doing better than previous models? Gavin Newsom has repeatedly made housing affordability a top priority of his administration. Prior to that, she held roles as Appointments Director for the Senate Rules Committee, Deputy Director of the Center for CaliforniaStudies at California State University, Sacramento, Director of the Senate Fellows Program, Chief of Staff to Senator Barry Keene, consultant to Assembly Majority Consultants, legislative aide to U.S. Hopefully were starting to see more economic recovery coming out of COVID, although I do think its going to be a very uneven recovery, she said. So our responsibility now as a state is to continue to put fuel in the tank of this solution. We have the wrong reflex around housing in the state. Lagos: London Breed became acting mayor, but she was only in that position for a couple of months before the Board of Supervisors controversially replaced her with interim Mayor Mark Farrell, and then of course London Breed got elected. 4. As COVID health emergency ends, LA County officials still urge caution His sister is deputy chief of staff for the mayor of New Orleans and his cousin, who he grew up with, was chief of staff for the mayor of Portland. As soon as applicants sign a pledge to submit more ambitious targets and try harder in their plans for the next $1 billion grant the final round of flexible local homelessness funding approved in the 2021 budget the state will start cutting checks for this round, according to Jason Elliott, Newsom's deputy chief of staff. Gov. One example: a 2013 law designed toincrease infill developmentin green zones, which Elliott said could potentially allow for millions of housing units to be built. We started with a lot of ideas. Callahan is a Democrat. Newsom dissed local applicants for seeming too complacent about a dire California problem, while the applicants retorted that the Newsom administration sent conflicting signals and that in any case, state lawmakers had inadvertently given them a financial motive to lowball their goals. Hes the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $135,000. LZe$h#0m1Nx@,Z@XO"F"K"]w8|qWWhh\6^i We have 108,000 unsheltered homeless people in California. 2. The program would allow family members, behavioral health providers and first responders to ask civil court judges to order a clinical evaluation and, if necessary, implement a plan for a person in need.