He said the question of how to close the homeless spigot is motivating them to think bigger and be more. UCLA nurses want end to COVID-era overcrowding in hospital halls and rooms He also emphasized that just as important as passing new legislation is implementing laws already on the books. Gavin Newsom. Thats goal number one.. The transcript below was edited for brevity and clarity: Marisa Lagos: You step into these huge shoes, and then about six months later Mayor Ed Lee suddenly dies in the middle of the night. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. 'Gimme Shelter': A conversation with Gov. Newsom's housing advisor A: Thats a great question and I wish I had a more straightforward answer for you. State Sen. Susan Eggman, a Stockton Democrat and one of the authors of SB 1338, said she would modify the bill to address certain concerns before then, but on some issues, were just going to have to agree to disagree., It is a work in progress, she said. Governor helps clear San Diego homeless encampment to highlight pilot Many affordable housing developers argue there just isnt the available workforce so that mandate would only increase the cost of construction. The mayor of San Francisco cannot possibly be involved in every decision that gets made across our 60 departments, from the airport to the zoo. Callahan served as the Chief Executive Officer of the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters By CALmatters | But the question is are we doing better than previous models? . Elliott acknowledged the state's behavioral health system has . So, Im gonna miss the troubleshooting with departments and mayor staff. Governor Newsom Appoints New Deputy Cabinet - California Governor Gavin Newsom's adviser on housing and homelessness, said that while the state can build housing for homeless people and the very poor, the private sector is essential to. A top Newsom adviser weighs in, Opinion: Newsoms budget cuts threaten public health investment, Oakland airport passenger traffic shows steady post-COVID rebound, China dismisses FBI statement that COVID-19 likely leaked from Wuhan lab, Despite new state law, Antioch ends remote option for council meetings, Zoom chops nearly 200 jobs in Bay Area as tech layoffs mount. Newsom also attached accountability measures to the program, including sanctions for local governments that dont comply with program requirements and diverting people into stricter conservatorships or letting their paused criminal cases continue if they fail to meet their CARE plan obligations. Its just not something you ever want to do. Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis Signs Legislation to Support States COVID-19 Preparedness, PHOTOS: Governor Newsom Visits Diablo Canyon Power Plant, More Time to File State Taxes for Californians Impacted by December and January Winter Storms, Governor Newsom on Read Across America Day: While Other States Ban Books, Were Helping Students Read, Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency in 13 Counties Due to Winter Storms, Activates California Guard. Through Project Roomkey, we increased the amount of shelter available in California by 50%, effectively overnight. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. Newsom Offers Vacant Land for Homeless Shelters, but Local - KQED Healso worked for the California Air Resources Board(CARB)onlegislation relating climate. Has it protected 35,000 homeless Californians? China dismisses FBI statement that COVID-19 likely leaked from Wuhan lab Seeman is a Democrat. Some policy bills face a key deadline next week, but Elliott declined to comment on specific bills, including Senate Bill 9, which would allow homeowners to put a duplex on single-family lots or split them. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. And that is great, but if you keep doing these interim housing solutions, you are not solving homelessness for them, you are hiding them.. Yes, it has. Newsom has proposed pausing that increase for one year, a move that would save drivers about $1.30 per month, according to Transportation California, a nonpartisan business and labor coalition. His sister is deputy chief of staff for the mayor of New Orleans and his cousin, who he grew up with, was chief of staff for the mayor of Portland. The Bay Area has pulled together in a very interesting way and focused very much on prevention and stability, which is really good. He is married to Nicole Elliott, director of the state Department of Cannabis Control. Gov. Mayoral candidate and Councilman Kevin de Len wants the city to withdraw from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. He highlighted $12 billion in the governors budget proposal for housing and homelessness and $1.75 billion to kick-start building on more than 6,000 of backlogged affordable housing units. Getting cities and counties to say yes to housing is a long battle in California. Yes, it has. A: Both the Bay Area and Los Angeles have stepped up in incredible ways. The proposal is so new there aren't many details. But you dont practice for that. Secretly, he still does. Newsom's CARE Court plan seeks to tackle homelessness - Los Angeles Times We worked 25 hours a day to design what eventually become Project Roomkey. Elliott, a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School and Columbia University, has been with Newsom for years, working for him when Newsom was mayor of San Francisco and lieutenant governor. From 2006 to 2010, she served four administrations in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. The Bay Area has pulled together in a very interesting way and focused very much on prevention and stability, which is really good. Richard was also Legislative Director for Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi and served as a Legislative Consultant for the California State Senate Insurance and Budget and Fiscal Review Committees. The policy differences? Elliott spoke with this news organization about those programs, how they started, and where we go from here. We have 108,000 unsheltered homeless people in California. The state hasstruggled to get tenants and landlords to enrollin existing benefits. Has it protected 35,000 homeless Californians? We believe that a transformational proposal like CARE Court should be thoroughly vetted by stakeholders and informed by research and data before it is adopted. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Andrew Imparato, executive director of Disability Rights California, said his group was open to working with the administration and lawmakers on changes. That has not happened here, the letter says. Gavin Newsom helps clean a homeless encampment alongside a freeway in San Diego. Gavin Newsom. Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. LA County reports 14 COVID-related deaths, 1,300-plus cases on Friday Jason Elliott, Newsom's deputy chief of staff, runs point on homelessness for the governor. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. He served in several previous administrations, including as Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Deputy Legislative Secretary for Governor Gray Davis. Before that, she worked for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf on her re-election campaign and managed the successful campaign of Shanell Williams forBoard of Trustees at City College of San Francisco. the free daily newsletter about California politics from the editors of Capitol Weekly. Newsom touts response to homelessness in State of the State - CapRadio You cant bid high enough on labor to get the folks you need so its kind of a moot point for the foreseeable future, he said. We want to move, and we want to move quickly, Newsom said during a recent interview on KQED. A: Thats a great question and I wish I had a more straightforward answer for you. As a result, the state has announced it will simplify the process to get more money out the door faster. I think its going to disproportionately impact low-income communities, Black and brown communities, so making sure people use the benefit I think is key.. Gavin Newsom. And in this case, Homekey works. A: I will point you to the governors budget proposal: $1.75 billion. 5. We practice with legislation. Elliott is leaving City Hall to work for Newsom's gubernatorial campaign. We dont have a concrete number, but you could assume we produce as a state maybe between 2,000 and 5,000 units of permanent housing in any given year. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. Those numbers don't yet account for Los Angeles County, said Jason Elliott, Newsom's deputy chief of staff and top advisor on housing and homelessness. But it takes time to build capacity, said Phebe Bell, behavioral health director for Nevada County and the president of the County Behavioral Health Directors Assn. Newsom also proposed $1.5 billion in this years budget to boost Californias behavioral health housing stock and has funneled billions more toward housing options for people experiencing homelessness. Jason Elliott had been chief of staff to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee for only about six months when he got the call last December that Lee was in the hospital. For all we knew, this was going to happen in a matter of weeks. Gavin Newsom Age: 37 Born: New York City, but grew up in Palo Alto Current home: Sacramento Family: Lives with his wife and their 15-month-old. To move the needle, Elliott pitched the statewide Housing Accountability Unit, which Newsom proposed in his January budget. Some other highlights from the discussion: On home prices, Svec refrained from calling Californias housing market a bubble. She expects the housing market will remain much more stable this time around than after the 2008 foreclosure crisis, and doesnt expect prices to drop anytime soon. But the question is are we doing better than previous models? His grandfather was in the State Department. What was the most difficult thing about navigating that? Jason has 5 jobs listed on their profile. Jason Elliott - Senior Counselor On Hou.. - Newsom | ZoomInfo.com We knew that a proposal this consequential, a proposal that aims to change the status quo so deeply, wasnt going to be received unanimously, wasnt going to be received with everyone clapping and cheering, Elliott said. People have had it. Housing | Some other highlights from the discussion: On home prices, Svec refrained from calling Californias housing market a bubble. She expects the housing market will remain much more stable this time around than after the 2008 foreclosure crisis, and doesnt expect prices to drop anytime soon. Earlier this month, Newsom billed the CARE Court proposal a departure from the status quo of addressing homelessness, addiction and mental illness in California. Jason Elliott, Gov. She wasthe Director ofExternal Affairs at the California Exposition and State Fair in Sacramento from 2013 to 2015 and was Deputy Appointments Secretary in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. from 2011 to 2013. Its not really realistic to assume were going to subsidize our way out of this. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Elliott serves as the governors top housing and homelessness adviser. But we can never let ourselves be stopped by feeling like were not making an impact. We start with no. A: I remember it was a Sunday afternoon and I was walking my dog and I got a call from our then chief of staff Ann OLeary and she said I need you at (the Office of Emergency Services) right now. Sign up for our daily newsletter. of Counties, said new funding to bolster behavioral health infrastructure is appreciated, but would not be enough to infill decades of disinvestment in the workforce and treatment programs needed to make CARE Court successful.