The incompetence, failure, and cowardice of Governor Newsom have prevailed yet again in the state of California. The housing and homelessness crisis has only gotten worse under Newsom, as he has failed to follow through with any campaign promise and/or sponsor any bill to mitigate the situation.
Recent statistics have shown the severity of the crisis. Homelessness in Los Angeles has risen from 52,765 to 58,936. Within Alameda County, the numbers have risen by 43 percent, along with San Francisco rising by 17 percent. Deaths have increased by over 70 percent in Los Angeles and Sacramento in conjunction with murders, rapes, and deaths quickly increasing in 2019.
In addition, assaults on and by homeless people are rapidly increasing. Based on social science data, the stress induced by being homeless can cause seemingly harmless people to resort to extreme violence.
The homelessness crisis, however, is a two-fold issue. The first layer involves the absurdly high price of housing construction. Due to a recent tax increase, there will only be enough housing to support one-twelfth of homeless people in Los Angeles. The second layer involves inadequate rehabilitation for those suffering from drug addiction. While the number of nonviolent drug users in jail has decreased, California lacks a sufficient program to help with treatment and keeping people off the streets.
It is obvious that Governor Newsom ran on a platform of dishonesty and political advancement. During his campaign for governor, Newsom pledged to build 3.5 million units by 2025 and create a position whose sole purpose was to address homelessness. We are now nearing the end of 2019 and California has yet to see any meaningful action taken by Governor Newsom.
California needs a leader who is committed to combating the homelessness issue affecting areas such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. There needs to be a leader who is efficient, decisive, and determined like San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. He has produced initiatives that have been productive and have actually made a difference with such a complex and pervasive issue like homelessness. At the end of the day, California needs someone who is willing to make the necessary decisions to enact legislation that will provide concrete solutions to the homelessness crisis.
