. Newsom Campaigned on Building 3.5 Million Homes. He Hasn't Gotten Even Stay up to date on the news you need to know. With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. We start with no. Newsom Alisa Hartz Brittiany Bearden Deputy Legal Affairs Kelli Evans Secretary Morgan Carvajal Luis Larios Special Assistant to Jay Jefferson Deputy Secretary & . Our message to LA and the Bay Area and to everyone is: Project Roomkey is here and funded at least through September of this year, with 100% of the cost borne by the federal government. 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. Its not really realistic to assume were going to subsidize our way out of this, Elliott said. But nowhere near the levels that I mentioned to you a moment ago we were fearing would come to pass. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. Callahan is a Democrat. The big takeaway: California is millions of housing units short, and cities hold the key. 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. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. potential Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Are we doing much better than previous models? It's scheduled to increase slightly for inflation on July 1. The answer is yes. I have sympathy for local leaders in Los Angeles and I have sympathy for the residents of Los Angeles because even sheltering as many people as they did through Project Roomkey, and providing as many new units as they did through Homekey, the order of magnitude of the challenge is so large in LA that it almost feels like you can never make progress. Some were really good and some were not so good. So when you do all that math, youre looking at about 25,000 homeless people losing their lives from coronavirus. We have exploded in bringing more interim housing beds online. Is it the only thing we have to do to solve homelessness? Gavin Newsom's adviser on housing and homelessness, said that while the state can build housing for homeless people and the very poor, the private sector is essential to easing the statewide housing shortage. We are using the states money to invest in one of the states top priorities homelessness. California has about 30,000 to 35,000 shelter beds on any given night, almost all of which are filled. You just let it keep rolling. 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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. We practice for terrorism. A: I will point you to the governors budget proposal: $1.75 billion. Gov. Q: What percent of Project Roomkey clients have exited to permanent housing? Voters have given Newsom poor reviews on efforts to stem the homelessness crisis, which is sure to come up in his opponents campaigns to block his reelection later this year. 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. His grandfather was in the State Department. 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. Elliott said the almost-certain recall facing Newsom later this year isnt affecting his positions on housing, either, pointing to the governors 2020 State of the State speech, where housing and homelessness took center stage. Elliott sat down for an exit interview with KQED politics reporter Marisa Lagos. Receive a free briefing on your state every day. We need people to enroll. A governors signature does not build new units, he said. Its not really realistic to assume were going to subsidize our way out of this. Jason has 5 jobs listed on their profile. An Update on Governor's Office Staffing for 2020 Gavin Newsom. Gavin Newsom joins a cleanup effort last May in Los Angeles. Housing | 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. Timing is also a key decision for Newsom. Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis Signs Legislation to Support States COVID-19 Preparedness, PHOTOS: Governor Newsom Visits Diablo Canyon Power Plant, More Time to File State Taxes for Californians Impacted by December and January Winter Storms, Governor Newsom on Read Across America Day: While Other States Ban Books, Were Helping Students Read, Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency in 13 Counties Due to Winter Storms, Activates California Guard. Clear out encampments, and at the same time connect people with housing and services. Has it helped us flatten the curve more broadly in California and protect our hospitals from overcrowding? Newsom proposes plan to help homeless Californians with severe psychiatric, substance abuse and addiction issues get into housing and treatment. Jason Elliott, Newsom's top housing and homelessness advisor, said Monday that the administration expected some opposition to the proposal. Yes, it has. Q: Has Project Roomkey achieved everything you hoped it would? This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $130,008. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court, Newsoms new push for homeless mental health treatment lacks details. Earlier this month, Newsom billed the CARE Court proposal a departure from the status quo of addressing homelessness, addiction and mental illness in California. Prior to working for Governor Brown,he served as a legislative consultant to State Senator Mark Leno, working on criminal justice issues, as well as privacy and technology. So I hopped in my car, drove over to Mather where OES is, and went into a conference room where the governor, Ann and a few others were, and sort of started at that point to realize how fundamentally this was going to change everything. 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. Housing | 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. Housing | Over the coming months, he would advise two different mayors as the city went through a truncated and highly contentious special election to replace Lee. A: I remember it was a Sunday afternoon and I was walking my dog and I got a call from our then chief of staff Ann OLeary and she said I need you at (the Office of Emergency Services) right now. 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. She previously covered startups and venture capital for the Bay Area News Group and prior to that court cases for The Recorder in San Francisco. Jason Elliott, Newsoms top housing advisor, said it is up to the legislative leaders to determine the mechanism for implementation, but requested urgency to codify the law by July 1. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Jason Elliott is the top housing adviser to Gov. Today, he announced: Jamie Callahan, 33, of Sacramento,has been appointedDeputy Cabinet Secretary. Health | %PDF-1.7 % The governor also has political incentives to quickly install CARE Courts. Title: Senior Counselor to Gov. As COVID health emergency ends, LA County officials still urge caution Yes, it has. And he was a friend and a mentor, so it must have been an incredibly difficult thing emotionally. and we're trying to keep up and make sure that we can keep up with protecting Californians," said Jason Elliott, Newsom's senior adviser. We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. 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? Please contact CalMatters with any commentary questions: commentary@calmatters.org. A: Both the Bay Area and Los Angeles have stepped up in incredible ways. Dr. Jonathan Sherin, Los Angeles Countys director of mental health, estimated that CARE Court would target 10% or less of the total homeless population. And in this case, Homekey works. They cant take whats happening on the streets and sidewalks. 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. Manuela is the housing reporter for CalMatters. Gavin Newsom. Jason Elliott, Gov. Jason Elliott, 36, of Sacramento, is now serving as senior counselor to the Governor for housing and homelessness in the Office of the Governor, where he has served as chief deputy cabinet secretary. Governor Newsom had previously announced Ana J. Matosantos as Cabinet Secretary, Jason Elliott as Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Executive Branch Operations, and Angie Wei as Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Policy Development. 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. But nowhere near the levels that I mentioned to you a moment ago we were fearing would come to pass. There is a crisis on our streets.. He spearheaded two programs that together wound up being one of the states biggest feats during the unprecedented pandemic. Elliott said he was watching with glee the Biden administrations $5 billion proposal as part of his infrastructure plan to encourage local governments to end exclusionary zoning and other practices. Six weeks after Gov. And then the high risk factor you apply to that population. the political dynamics and economic and racial inequities that have This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100,008. He said the question of how to close the homeless spigot is motivating them to think bigger and be more. During a panel discussion hosted by Capitol Weekly on Wednesday, Jason Elliott, Newsoms top advisor on housing and homelessness, provided a glimpse. Were coming up with a completely new paradigm, a new approach, a different pathway, and its consistent with our values, Newsom said earlier this month when he announced the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court. Getting cities and counties to say yes to housing is a long battle in California. But we can never let ourselves be stopped by feeling like were not making an impact. Lagos: So you spent the last couple months helping London Breeds administration get settled. Marisa Kendall is a housing reporter for the Bay Area News Group who covers homelessness for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. Two Democrats have already introduced a bill that parallels the governors proposal. hV[k0+eeJ!l>;h\aaK:}>>Z -A Elliott: The job of a chief of staff is to implement the vision of the mayor that he or she works for. Jason Elliott, Gov. CA mental health advocates criticize CARE Court homeless plan | The We believe the answer is yes, and we are in the process now of doing some program evaluation to be able to back that up with data. Have it become a fundamental part of addressing homelessness in California. Newsom's CARE Court plan seeks to tackle homelessness - Los Angeles Times 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. And through really deliberative debate and discussion, we started to land on the idea of using hotels. He spearheaded two programs that together wound up being one of the states biggest feats during the unprecedented pandemic. 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. Yes, it has. The governor wants to work the proposal through the budget this spring so the CARE Court program is ready to go into effect when the new fiscal year starts on July 1, as opposed to implementation after the lengthier policy process. 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? Its not enough to put a noticeable dent in the massive crisis of human suffering on our streets. Were heading down the same path here, Elliott said. For all we knew, this was going to happen in a matter of weeks. (Courtesy of Jason Elliott) 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. We start with no. We have 108,000 unsheltered homeless people in California. Elliott said the almost-certain recall facing Newsom later this year isnt affecting his positions on housing, either, pointing to the governors 2020 State of the State speech, where housing and homelessness took center stage. 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. Hes the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. hb````` Californians worry about economy, Dahle concedes to Newsom | The Healso worked for the California Air Resources Board(CARB)onlegislation relating climate. Housing | Sign up for The Roundup, 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. 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. Elliott is leaving City Hall to work for Newsom's gubernatorial campaign. Gavin Newsoms gubernatorial campaign. During apanel discussion hosted by Capitol Weeklyon Wednesday, Jason Elliott, Newsoms top advisor on housing and homelessness, provided a glimpse. This is not going to end homelessness, Kushel said. We're not always successful," Jason Elliott, Newsom's top advisor on homelessness, told CapRadio after the speech. hbbd```b``Z""H>UD>&jH`AH2::30m\ No, of course not. To fundamentally alter the reality that we see on the streets requires us fundamentally altering our approach. NettieSabelhaus, 71, of Sacramento,has been appointedSpecial Advisor on Public Safety. Want to see more stories like this? UCLA nurses want end to COVID-era overcrowding in hospital halls and rooms But getting a good read on his thinking can be difficult. S.F.'s Toiletgate: Newsom calls $1.7 million bathroom a waste, halts He also emphasized that just as important as passing new legislation is implementing laws already on the books. He is married to Nicole Elliott, director of the state Department of Cannabis Control. 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. SonyaLogman, 30,of Antelope, has been appointedDeputy Cabinet Secretary. Title: Senior Counselor to Gov. YL 8u8JpC My favorite part of the job is when we get together in a room and theres just this unsolvable, complicated problem, and you get to just dive into it and unpack it piece by piece and try to help solve the unsolvable. Yes, it has. Mayoral candidate and Councilman Kevin de Len wants the city to withdraw from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Los Angeles, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. And its not something you ever picture doing. Hironakahas most recently served as Deputy Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. 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. CARE Court is meant to target the 10,000 to 12,000 people dealing with schizophrenia and psychosis who may qualify for the program, said Jason Elliott, a senior counselor to Newsom. By clicking subscribe, you agree to theTerms. 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In their 14-page letter, the advocates blasted the proposal as involuntary and coercive treatment that would strip individuals of their personal liberties and perpetuate institutional racism and worsen health disparities. They said CARE Court flies in the face of any evidence-based approach to ending homelessness because it prioritizes mental health services not housing as the initial step toward recovery, which they said would deviate from Californias housing first principles. 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. We are not batting 1,000. contributed to the housing crisis in California and its Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) said the issue is a high priority for her members, and appeared open to the idea of the proposal being worked out through the budget. Hebegan his careerat the State Capitolas a legislativeaide to State Senator FranPavley. Sign up for our daily newsletter. "The whole. "Sometimes people return to the streets, sometimes they return to . 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. Elliott sidestepped another question, about whether the administration would seek to extend the statewide eviction moratorium, which is set to end June 30,as the state doubles its rent relief funds withan additional $2.6 billion from the federal government. Yes, it has. He said the governor would generally support any move to change the default to yes on more housing. Opposition mounts against Newsom's plan for court-ordered treatment of Program to buy hotels for homeless people could get another influx of Now, a little over a month into Mayor London Breeds term, Elliott is leaving City Hall to work for Lt. Gov. Housing | Emily Swide, 25, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director of Schedulingfor the Governor. I believe it is crucial to invest in a free, just and unbiased press, especially in California when all three aspects are in peril. We are not batting 1,000. Newsom calls for spending $12 billion more to end homelessness in California. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters By CALmatters | Because for every person you bring inside, thats a person who has a sister whos worried about her. Newsoms administration believes that 7,000 to 12,000 people could qualify for the court-ordered care, a fraction of the estimated 161,000 people experiencing homelessness in California. This is a part-time position and does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation $81,897. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters In summary We are adding judges and attorneys into the mix in hopes of better connecting unhoused individuals with housing and medical care, but nothing else really changes, she said. Graham Knaus, executive director of the California State Assn. CalMatters is a nonprofit newsroom and your tax-deductible donations help us keep bringing you and every Californian essential, nonpartisan information. Through Project Roomkey, we increased the amount of shelter available in California by 50%, effectively overnight. Callahan previously served as Director of External and International Affairs in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2015 to January 2019, where she was Special Advisor to the Executive Secretary from 2013 to 2015. Support for Capitol Weekly is Provided by: Jason Elliot. We dont have a concrete number, but you could assume we produce as a state maybe between 2,000 and 5,000 units of permanent housing in any given year. Hes also been a chief deputy cabinet secretary, director of intergovernmental affairs, senior adviser, and more. 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. Some were practical and some were impossible. 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. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California Gov. You know, we practice the earthquake. The state hasstruggled to get tenants and landlords to enrollin existing benefits. 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? At the heart of Gov. View Jason Elliott's business profile as Senior Counselor On Housing at Newsom. Tell me about that transition and sort of what your role has been. Are we doing much better than previous models? How California used COVID-19 to create housing; a top Newsom adviser A lot of smaller cities are not just making this San Francisco and Oaklands problem. In LA they proposed more Homekey projects than we were able to fund. A:I dont want to leave your readers with the impression that Project Roomkey is going to once and for all solve homelessness in California, because its not. Theyre just exhausted, Newsom said during the KQED interview.