DATE:
September 24, 2024
11
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT: REQUESTING RESOURCES NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT SENATE BILL 43 (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Title
Body
OVERVIEW
We have seen a sharp increase in homelessness in the State of California over the past 7 years. There is a clear need for additional resources for those who need it most.
Recently, the County of San Diego received a letter from Governor Newsom admonishing the delayed implementation of State Senate Bill 43 (SB 43), which expands the criteria for conservatorship to include those who are gravely disabled due to Substance Use Disorder. Governor Newsom signed this Bill into law in October of 2023, and the Board voted to implement SB 43 on January 1st, 2025. The expanded criteria offer a promising avenue for getting more people into treatment and off the streets.
However, this expansion requires additional resources. It is not enough to simply have more people placed into a conservatorship if we don't have the treatment, programs, and facilities needed.
Governor Newsom issued an Executive Order on July 25th, 2024, urging local jurisdictions to clear homeless encampments. After decades of ineffective state policies-many of which, including the continuation of the failed Housing First policy, increased housing regulations, and the transfer of prison populations to local jails, occurred under his own leadership-the State is now placing the burden of these failures on local governments.
Nonetheless, we share a common goal: getting people off the streets and into the help they need. Achieving this requires more than just policy changes; we need additional resources. With the collaboration of the County of San Diego's department of Behavioral Health Services, today's action directs the Chief Administrative Officer to send a letter to Governor Newsom requesting the funding necessary to implement SB 43. SB 43 implementation is only a part of the solution for clearing homeless encampments, as not all indi...
Click here for full text