In his State of the State speech Wednesday morning, California Gov. Gavin Newsom emphasized the issue of homelessness in the Golden State, calling it a “disgrace.”
In the session, Newsom acknowledged that California residents have “lost patience” with lawmakers who are neglecting the human tragedy. Newsom also said that his second term will put a heavy focus on the affordable housing crisis.
“I don’t think homelessness can be solved – I know homelessness can be solved,” Newsom said in his speech.
“The California Association of Realtors stands with Governor Gavin Newsom and agrees that after decades of neglect we need more housing,” California Association of Realtors President Jeanne Radsick said in a statement.
“As the governor said during his State of the State: ‘Doing nothing is no longer an option…we must cut red tape to get to yes on innovative approaches.’ We applaud the governor’s dedication to addressing California’s housing shortage and calling on both state and local governments to get serious about increasing the state’s housing supply. Our state’s community of more than 200,000 Realtors join with the governor in calling for a bold housing supply agenda in 2020,” Radsick continued.
Many metros in California are listed as unaffordable, making it hard to purchase a home. As a home to many tech hubs, California is facing an ongoing crisis.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump was also in California, rallying for his campaign for reelection.
In his speech, Newsom cited Trump for being less interested in helping people on the streets and caring more about his own image.
“California has and will continue to extend its hand of partnership to Washington, seeking to jointly address this issue,” Newsom said. “But empty words and symbolic gestures won’t mask a 15% across-the-board cut to [Housing and Urban Development‘s] budget.”
In October, Newsom signed a long-awaited statewide law that controls how much landlords can charge for rent, with the goal of relieving renters across the state.
Newsom’s budget proposal released in January also increased health and human services spending by $5.5 billion, the Los Angeles Times said.
