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SLO Mayor, League of Cities ask California for $3 billion for homeless services

April 13, 2023

Erica Stewart speaking in Sacramento

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica Stewart joined the League of California Cities in Sacramento on Wednesday in calling for the state to spend $3 billion on combating homelessness.

Hundreds of city officials gathered outside the state Capitol Wednesday morning to request the $3 billion in funding for preventing and reducing homelessness and jump starting the construction of affordable housing. Stewart spoke at the event.

SLO Mayor Erica Stewart

SLO’s mayor wrote she was “advocating for state funding to reduce homelessness and increase affordable housing,” on her Instagram account. The League of Cities also released a statement issued by Stewart.

“Cities like San Luis Obispo are innovating with on-the-ground programs to address homelessness,” Stewart said in the statement. “In fiscal year 22-23, our city spent over $3 million to address homelessness and invest in preserving low-income housing units in the city. Cities need long-term funding from the state to be able to grow our investment in addressing the homelessness and housing crisis.”

On Wednesday, the League of Cities announced it had recently conducted a survey that found nearly 90% of cities have fiscal concerns over their ability to continue providing existing levels of homeless services in the long term. Of the cities that responded to the survey, 80% are spending general fund money to address homelessness. Nearly 85% of California cities have implemented programs to prevent and reduce homelessness, according to the survey.

The survey found that while cities are accelerating their efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness and create more affordable housing in their communities, the demand for housing and services is outpacing their efforts, straining capacity and draining resources. 

If cities were to collectively receive $3 billion, they would use the state funding to provide additional support services, increase shelter space, accelerate affordable housing development, invest in homeless outreach teams and expand rent subsidy programs, according to the League of Cities survey. 


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Its funny how the alleged “homeless” always have money for cigarettes and booze.


5

And Cell Phones


1

Correct me if I’m wrong…But didn’t the Prado Rd center get built to “combat homelessness” and provide services to those on the street? Although, they don’t seem help anyone, or anything, but their own bloated paychecks.


If only there was a small ranch, say, on Los Osos Valley Road, close to town, but out of the way, where the homeless could stay, and learn a trade, or do farm work, perhaps use some life skills they had before drugs or alcohol stole it away. No doubt, some of those billions could provide construction costs, for shelters that would be up to any code the county could dream of.


I know, I know. Total pipe dream, right? Who would ever think something like that could happen…..


16

SLO County already spends $70,000 per homeless times 1500 people a year, wait until they build a homeless village magnet.


19

Throwing billions at the homeless problem? Why not? Its worked well in our public schools.


22

This is the continuing scam that has plagued California for decades. They will allocate billions to a program that will hire more government staff and the problem will get worse. What we need is to stop pandering to druggies and lifestyle homeless. If someone commits a crime punish them!


39

There it is again. “Low income housing needed!!!” How many of the homeless are on the street because they can’t afford housing? I think the percentage is quite small. As mentioned here by others, the real problems are addiction, mental illness, plain laziness and general lifestyle choices.

If the city really wanted cheap housing, they’d promote trailer parks. Those must be about the cheapest housing you could come up with. But what’s the city doing? Taking them out! Witness the trailer park just removed at Tank Farm and Broad. Developers can’t make any money putting in a trailer park so the city, maybe colluding with developers (?) is all in on major, expensive, developments. They’re going in everywhere! That’s where the money is. And they’ll all be purchased or occupied by people from outside the city or by people already housed in SLO but moving to something nicer.

And any impact on the homeless population will be negligible!

Our “leaders” are either incompetent or frauds.


43

And when people who are already housed in SLO move into something nicer, what happens to their older, probably cheaper, property? Hmmmm.


If used cars were expensive, the solution wouldn’t be to reduce the supply of new cars, or create regulations that make it so only big SUVs were allowed. Unlock the free market, allow people to build on their property, or do NIMBYs just really really hate freedom?


-25

CMC is making a huge reduction in criminals housing, why not use the part of the prison that is going to be vacant, its already built, has food accommodations, safe for all involved, treatment in house, its a win-win!


18

Hmmm…interesting idea….


5

Not a bad idea but unfortunately you’d be instantly accused of wanting to “imprison” homeless people. Some people would want to imprison you for even suggesting it!


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