SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – To help California's unhoused population, Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state needs to invest billions in mental health services.
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That's the latest proposal as Newsom continues his State of the State tour across California.
At a stop in San Diego over the weekend, Newsom announced that he would ask voters to greenlight funding to help more people struggling with mental illness and addiction get the treatment and housing they need.
"To set aside and prioritize the most acute challenge the state faces, and that's the issue of integration of housing and the supportive services that we need to be stacked on that housing," he said.
"To stabilize individuals that are in acute states of psychosis, people that are self-medicating with drugs or alcohol addictions," said Newsom.
Newsom is aiming to get this proposal on next year's ballot. He hopes voters will opt to fund the $5 billion project which involves general obligation bonds.
The money would go towards campus-style facilities to treat and house up to 10,000 people a year.
"It's really a proud moment to be able to talk about this vision, but it's not one that I think Californians haven't sought for some time," said California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly.
"It's just today, we're talking about how do we actually get it done and delivered," he said.
Last week, Newsom announced a plan to spend about $30 million to build over 1,000 tiny homes across the state to help house people living on the streets.
The state's unhoused population is the largest in the country, California has about one third of the nation's total.
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