New homelessness ‘accountability’ website points the finger at local governments and ignores real solutions

Accountability.ca.gov tracks local progress toward state housing and homelessness goals

By Caroline Grinder, legislative affairs lobbyist. Additional contributions by regional public affairs managers Nicholas Cabeza and Connor Medina.

Gov. Gavin Newsom yesterday unveiled a new accountability website, released previously committed homelessness funding, and proposed new oversight measures for the state’s key homelessness grant programs. This latest move tracks with the Governor’s approach to homelessness: Ramp up the pressure on local governments instead of investing in proven strategies.

The new website shows which cities are out of compliance with state housing goals, the amount of funding allocated to each county for homelessness, and the county’s progress in implementing behavioral health reforms, such as CARE Court.

The response from many local leaders was swift and unequivocal — especially from smaller cities that do not receive direct HHAP funding and proactively work to meet state mandates. The city of Bellflower has directed 9 million in General Fund dollars to emergency housing and outreach services — often in areas it says the state and county neglect. 

“The Governor should be working alongside cities that are taking proactive steps to empower and support those that are embracing local responsibility rather than shifting the blame,” said Bellflower Council Member Victor Sanchez. “Despite our leadership, the support we have received from higher levels of government has remained minimal.”

The Governor warned that future state funding could be withheld and proposed clawing back funds already allocated to cities and counties if homelessness continues to rise in their jurisdictions. This punitive proposal fails to account for the spikes in first-time homelessness or the significant General Fund investments cities are making to address the crisis.

In fact, the Governor’s January budget proposal contains zero new funding for homelessness even though homelessness reached record highs last year. It also slashed over $1 billion for key affordable housing programs.

According to a recent Cal Cities survey, nearly two-thirds of cities report that the inflow of people entering homeless exceeds their ability to reduce overall homelessness. Almost 90% of cities have used General Fund revenues to support homelessness programs. Cities agree that a lack of ongoing funding is the top barrier to preventing and reducing homelessness in California.

Santa Ana spends about $30 million a year on homeless prevention and support and has directed over $60 million toward affordable housing over the past decade.

“The reality is that, as state and federal funding continues to fall short, we are left to shoulder the burden of a growing crisis,” Mayor Valerie Amezcua said. “We need a real partnership between all state and local agencies responsible for providing support to our communities — more funding, better coordination, and a stronger focus on mental health and addiction treatment. Santa Ana is committed to real solutions, but we can’t do it alone.”

The data is clear: Reducing homelessness requires “targeted and sustained funding” — the exact type of funding Cal Cities has long urged the Legislature and Governor to provide for the state’s most vulnerable residents. Cities — or any level of government — cannot single-handedly solve this decades-in-the-making crisis. But when the state, counties, and cities work together, we can make meaningful progress.

“The state should be following the example of communities with strategies that work, rather than shifting blame where it doesn’t belong,” Sanchez said. “If we are truly going to make progress, the state must either invest in and support proven local solutions like Bellflower’s or give us the flexibility and resources to continue doing what we do best.”