But the bottom line is that he tackles difficult issues and advises the governor on how to respond, and his portfolio is expanding exponentially. 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. 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. Here's what we know so far about Gov. Newsom's CARE - CapRadio He also emphasized that just as important as passing new legislation is implementing laws already on the books. And in this case, Homekey works. I think its going to disproportionately impact low-income communities, Black and brown communities, so making sure people use the benefit I think is key.. You cant bid high enough on labor to get the folks you need so its kind of a moot point for the foreseeable future, he said. Jason Elliott, Gov. Gavin Newsoms proposal to compel people into court-ordered treatment for mental illness and addiction is a sense of urgency to solve a decades-old crisis festering on Californias streets even if it means building the plane as it flies. Jason Elliott is the top housing adviser to Gov. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. SACRAMENTO Newly sworn-in Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the addition ofseveral highly-accomplished public servants toExecutive Branch Operationswithin the Governors Office. Has it helped us flatten the curve more broadly in California and protect our hospitals from overcrowding? Elliott acknowledged the state's behavioral health system has . Pasadena to terminate local COVID-19 orders this month This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $166,404. No, we shouldnt build there, Elliott said. Swide is a Democrat. But you dont practice for that. Please contact CalMatters with any commentary questions: commentary@calmatters.org. We are using the states money to invest in one of the states top priorities homelessness. 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. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. Gavin Newsom, Born: New York City, but grew up in Palo Alto, Family: Lives with his wife and their 15-month-old daughter, Prior job: Chief of staff to San Francisco Mayors Ed Lee and London Breed, and policy director for Newsom when he was mayor. Because for every person you bring inside, thats a person who has a sister whos worried about her. CalMattersis a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. Im not going to take anybodys vote for granted, but I think with my caucus, and I think this is a bipartisan issue, everybody agrees that we need more tools in the toolbox in order to reach those who so desperately need our help.. Q: As a result of Homekey, the state has added more than 6,000 new long-term housing units in less than six months. Housing | ', San Diego Gun Store Owner Sentenced in Firearms Sales Case Involving Ex-Deputy, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. 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. Concerns about rising crime and the homelessness crisis emerged as the top issues driving voter dissatisfaction with Gov. Put that in context how big a deal is that in a state that for decades has struggled to build enough housing? Hes the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. We knew that a proposal this consequential, a proposal that aims to change the status quo so deeply, wasnt going to be received unanimously, wasnt going to be received with everyone clapping and cheering, Elliott said. Jason Elliott Title: Senior Counselor to Gov. Oakland airport passenger traffic shows steady post-COVID rebound Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. . 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. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. Some other highlights from the discussion: On home prices, Svec refrained from calling Californias housing market a bubble. She expects the housing market will remain much more stable this time around than after the 2008 foreclosure crisis, and doesnt expect prices to drop anytime soon. Housing | We have exploded in bringing more interim housing beds online. 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 waslargely responsible for ballooning home prices. Daniel Seeman, 33, of Sacramento,has been appointedDeputy Cabinet Secretary. 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. 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. Hannah Wiley is a politics reporter for the Los Angeles Times Sacramento bureau covering the California Capitol and state agencies. hb````` AB 2830 was originally scheduled to be heard this week by the Assembly Judiciary Committee, but the hearing is now set for next week, similar to plans for its companion measure, Senate Bill 1338. 'Gimme Shelter': A conversation with Gov. Newsom's housing advisor Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Capitol Weekly's Top 100: Jason Elliot - Capitol Weekly 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? A: Both the Bay Area and Los Angeles have stepped up in incredible ways. Newsom Alisa Hartz Brittiany Bearden Deputy Legal Affairs Kelli Evans Secretary Morgan Carvajal Luis Larios Special Assistant to Jay Jefferson Deputy Secretary & (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. You just let it keep rolling. Manuela is the housing reporter for CalMatters. 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. 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. He spearheaded two programs that together wound up being one of the states biggest feats during the unprecedented pandemic. 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. In the Bay Area, the median home price soared to an all-time high of $1.3 million and the statewide median home price broke $800,000 last month. The state must invest in permanent affordable housing options in addition to building interim units such as tiny homes and hotel rooms, she said. Gavin Newsom joins a cleanup effort last May in Los Angeles. They said they worry that CARE Court would disproportionately target people of color, who are more likely to be homeless and diagnosed with psychotic disorders, and that CARE Court would enable unacceptable shortcuts in the legal system that could remove bodily autonomy and medical decision-making power. Stay up to date on the news you need to know. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California Gov. 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? Returning money to California taxpayers may aid state budget CA mental health advocates criticize CARE Court homeless plan | The He highlighted$12 billion in the governors budget proposalfor housing and homelessness and $1.75 billion to kick-start building on more than 6,000 of backlogged affordable housing units. Housing | Newsom also proposed $1.5 billion in this years budget to boost Californias behavioral health housing stock and has funneled billions more toward housing options for people experiencing homelessness. Between working on the states pandemic response seven days a week and raising a baby, theres very little time to do anything else.Related Articles Newsom's CARE Court plan seeks to tackle homelessness - Los Angeles Times Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters. We worked 25 hours a day to design what eventually become Project Roomkey. With a key legislative deadline next week, Newsoms housing adviser speaks about the governors priorities on affordable housing. UCLA nurses want end to COVID-era overcrowding in hospital halls and rooms Hopefully were starting to see more economic recovery coming out of COVID, although I do think its going to be a very uneven recovery, she said. The big takeaway: California is millions of housing units short, and cities hold the key. And then the high risk factor you apply to that population. "x|.gpr9w5+9VD34[1d3
k=D.$Y+P&@H)1IPv&cN}`r=(s6hYp4r>]dV>:pvV5R"F-"0%4X=?>RYQ;:h]"{A'`MW;J Gavin Newsom helps clean a homeless encampment alongside a freeway in San Diego. Because for every person you bring inside, thats a person who has a sister whos worried about her. Jason Elliott, Newsoms top housing and homelessness advisor, said Monday that the administration expected some opposition to the proposal. Richard Figueroa, 60, of Sacramento,has been appointedDeputy Cabinet Secretary. Two Democrats have already introduced a bill that parallels the governors proposal. Governor Newsom had previously announcedAna J.Matosantosas Cabinet Secretary,Jason Elliott as Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Executive Branch Operations, and Angie Wei as Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Policy Development. His grandfather was in the State Department. In the Bay Area, the median home price soared to an all-time high of $1.3 million and the statewide median home price broke $800,000 last month. Governor Newsom Appoints New Deputy Cabinet - California Governor Program to buy hotels for homeless people could get another influx of 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? With a budget surplus bonanza, Gov. Because CARE Court will harm Californians with disabilities, experiencing homelessness, and involved in the criminal legal system, we cannot support this proposal., Cynthia Castillo, a policy advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty, said Newsoms plan seems to be expanding the bureaucracy of homelessness services.. 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. You know, we practice the earthquake. g 8
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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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, California judges could order help for homeless Californians under Newsoms new plan, What we know about Newsoms plan to compel care for homeless, mentally ill Californians, Gov. Three S.F. 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As COVID health emergency ends, LA County officials still urge caution The state hasstruggled to get tenants and landlords to enrollin existing benefits. Gavin Newsom, Elliott serves as the governors top housing and homelessness adviser. Governor helps clear San Diego homeless encampment to highlight pilot A: Both the Bay Area and Los Angeles have stepped up in incredible ways. 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. 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. Sending Gas Money to California Taxpayers May Aid State Budget S.F.'s Toiletgate: Newsom calls $1.7 million bathroom a waste, halts Q: How can we continue this momentum post-pandemic? 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 the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. His biggest challenges as we go to press are housing, homelessness and mental health care, issues that have dominated the states discussions this year, so he has his work cut out for him. Castillo said the anti-poverty group will remain opposed to the CARE Court framework unless lawmakers address the concerns outlined in the letter, especially the plans failure to address access to housing and its insistence on empowering judges to mandate care. 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'The country is watching': California homeless crisis looms as Gov Its just not something you ever want to do. Getting cities and counties to say yes to housing is a long battle in California. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters By CALmatters | Between working on the states pandemic response seven days a week and raising a baby, theres very little time to do anything else. Logman is a Democrat. Jason Elliott, Newsom's deputy chief of staff, runs point on homelessness for the governor. LA County reports 14 COVID-related deaths, 1,300-plus cases on Friday 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. 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. 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. Q: As a result of Homekey, the state has added more than 6,000 new long-term housing units in less than six months. Some policy bills face a key deadline next week, but Elliott declined to comment on specific bills, including Senate Bill 9, which would allow homeowners to put a duplex on single-family lots or split them. Through Project Roomkey, we increased the amount of shelter available in California by 50%, effectively overnight. Newsom Offers Vacant Land for Homeless Shelters, but Local - KQED The transcript below was edited for brevity and clarity: Marisa Lagos: You step into these huge shoes, and then about six months later Mayor Ed Lee suddenly dies in the middle of the night. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $145,008. That was the challenge we were facing. Gavin Newsom's homeless plans rank Sacramento CA worst | The Sacramento Bee Gov. Newson's Top Housing Advisor Says California Should 'Start with