5 Bay Area cities, 2 counties get homeless removal funds

Gov. Gavin Newsom is awarding $131 million in grants to cities and counties that are seriously addressing homeless encampments. These grants come with stricter accountability measures than ever before. 

Newsom announced $131 million in grants to cities and counties, the latest in a billion-dollar program aimed at resolving the homeless encampment issue by clearing homeless camps and providing shelter, care, and support to the campers. 

"These encampment resolution grants have proven successful. We're not playing politics with them nor have our local leaders played politics with them," said Newsom. "Never, ever, in the history of the state, have we provided more support."

Representatives of two recipient cities said they are very grateful.

"We are extremely excited because this is our third encampment resolution fund award. Richmond has worked hard and reduced our unhoused population by 25% in the last year," said Richmond City Manager Sasha Curl. 

"Here in the city of Sacramento, between 2022 and 2024, we experienced a 42% reduction in unsheltered homelessness," said Sacramento Mayor Darryl Steinberg.

Of 12 cities awarded so-called encampment resolution funds, five are in the Bay Area, including Antioch, Berkeley, Petaluma, Richmond and San Jose. 

In addition, two Bay Area counties, Contra Costa County and San Francisco County, got $5.7 and $8 million respectively. 

In order to get such funds, these and future recipients will have to comply with all state housing and homeless laws or face refusal and even lawsuits to force compliance, which some towns have actively opposed, especially meeting mandated home construction mandates. 

"We want partners in this process. We don't want sparring partners. We want working partners. If you play by the rules that are established, we want to provide carrots, not just sticks. But if you are unwilling to play by the rules, we will not provide new funds and we will claw back funds as well," said Newsom.

Since July 1, the state itself has removed almost 1,000 encampments; 12,000 encampments since 2021.