WE NEED REAL CHANGE.
Addressing the Insanity of Street Homelessness
When it comes to solving our state’s homelessness crisis, we know the answers – politicians just aren’t delivering.
We need both long-term and short-term solutions. Short-term we need to look at navigation centers and proven mental health treatment programs that include full drug treatment and help keep participants clean and off the streets.
Long-term we need to focus on building housing people can afford where it makes sense. We’ll continue to see people back on the streets without supportive services for those who experience chronic homelessness. By helping our neighbors into shelter and providing them with job training and placement, mental health support, and other services, we can help them take their lives back. Secondly, build more affordable housing. It’s that simple. In the State Assembly I’ll work with local communities to build more, and more affordable housing. And I’ll make sure it’s next to existing transit so we don’t increase traffic.
HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS
What is your plan for solving the housing crisis?
With the cost of one housing unit approaching $1M, it will take public money to provide affordable housing. We need grants from the Federal and State government. We should also make big corporations pay a share. The overwhelming growth of Meta, Google, Apple and other big companies caused the huge jobs/housing imbalance that contributed to the housing crisis.
The Density Bonus Law is overly generous in the benefits it provides developers for including just a few affordable units in a project. Developers also balk at impact fees, which means the cost of infrastructure must be borne by residents. We can’t give in to developer complaints that projects won’t “pencil out” when condos sell for millions and rents are upwards of $2,000/month.
I’m in favor of converting empty offices to housing wherever feasible.
How can we solve the homeless problem?
California has the highest percentage of unsheltered homeless in America. We’ve spent $20.6 billion on housing and homelessness since 2018-19. During that time, the number of homeless has increased by nearly a third — to more than 170,000 in 2022.
Sacramento blames cities for the problem, but cities didn’t close the mental hospitals; eliminate affordable housing funds; cut job training, drug treatment and other services. The state did that. If we want to solve homelessness, the state has to step in and provide supportive services for mental health, drug treatment, job training.
Short-term we need to look at navigation centers with a full range of health programs like Rhode Island’s MAT program where more than 90% of participants stay clean and staying off the streets. Long-term we need to invest public money to build affordable housing. Developers are driven by profit, so they will build a only a few affordable units – never enough to meet the demand. We also need more safe, frequently-scheduled and coordinated public transit for workers so we don’t increase traffic.
Do you support rent control?
I support protecting tenants in the most effective way possible. That is not state-mandated rent control, which is basically a form of rationing. Studies show it backfires in numerous ways. Units rarely go on the market, fewer new units are built, and people are locked in to a place they can’t afford to leave. High-wage earners have the benefit of rent-controlled housing while teachers, nurses, and janitors can’t find a place to live.
Should the “right to housing” be added to the state constitution?
I see this as virtue signaling. Assemblymember Matt Haney, author of the measure, noted it would not guarantee the government would provide housing for free. If we can’t fund it, it’s meaningless.
Do you support holding people who are diagnosed with mental illness against their will?
Yes, under court order with adequate protections and review. Mandating treatment for 90 days is more humane than releasing deeply troubled people to live – and frequently die – on our streets.
Do you support supervised injection sites?
No. We need to help people end their addictions. I do support more treatment centers and needle exchange as a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS.
Do you support a single-payer health care system in California?
I support a public option – not a mandate from Sacramento. Any Californian should have the choice of buying into our state’s MediCal or Medicaid system. If single payer works it will grow, become more efficient and be the healthcare system of choice for families and companies.
Do you support a woman’s right to choose?
Yes. Every woman should make this decision for herself. Politicians should stay out of our personal lives.
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