Gov. Newsom pushes new effort to hold communities accountable on reducing homelessness

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California Governor Newsom on Monday announced online that the state has created a new homeless accountability website called accountability.ca.gov with $920 million in funding. 

The website's goal is to send as much aid as possible, but only to those whose programs get folks out of ad hoc homeless encampments.

The state's new accountability.ca.gov website is designed to show anyone, anywhere, in fine detail, what real and provable progress their own communities are making or not making towards curbing and reducing encampments. 

Those who succeed will get more funding. Those who do not will get no more and have some money clawed back. 

"People want to see their sidewalks taken back. They want their streets safe again. They want to bring their kids, walk them down the streets, get to the playground, without stepping over people on the sidewalks," said Newsom.

The head of Marin County's successful Ritter Center for the homeless says accountability.ca.gov concentrates on three main areas. "That's about getting encampments cleaned up. That's about getting people into housing and getting them the necessary wrap-around services," said Ritter House Director Mark Shotwell.

Not so long ago, this is where many homeless folks lived in San Rafael, along Mahon Creek. It was a mess, it was not safe and a lot of people were unable to use it for any other reason. But the city changed that and what they've done, right across the street is they actually set up a brand-new encampment which is sanctioned, which has services, which has things that people need and can be done in an orderly and safe fashion.

Tamika has benefitted from this new facility, though she may not realize it. "These scientists got people torturing me remotely with cell phones and stuff like that. They don't call the ambulance or police for me. They're just there to let me die," said Tamika.

But, in reality here, Tamika has food, protection from the elements, care and security, far, far better than the streets. "We've got to make sure that the money that we’re are spending in the state is going to practices that are proven by evidence to work," said Ritter Center's Shotwell.

"More focused now than ever, ever on accountability, maintaining unprecedented investments, targeting those investments to really focus now on unsheltered homeless, to focus on what's happening on the streets and sidewalks and encampments," said the Governor.

The Governor says he will push the legislature for more money, but only for communities that succeed; not more blind grants.