Is it the only thing we have to do to solve homelessness? Andrew Imparato, executive director of Disability Rights California, said his group was open to working with the administration and lawmakers on changes. Gov. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $130,008. They cant take whats happening in encampments and tents.. 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. panel discussion hosted by Capitol Weekly, to encourage local governments to end exclusionary zoning, struggled to get tenants and landlords to enroll, $12 billion in the governors budget proposal, largely responsible for ballooning home prices. Elliott said he was watching with glee the Biden administrations $5 billion proposal as part of his infrastructure planto encourage local governments to end exclusionary zoningand other practices. Housing | Most recently,Seeman servedas deputy legislative secretary in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., where he advised on matters related to criminal justice, law enforcement, corrections and the judiciary. Has it helped us flatten the curve more broadly in California and protect our hospitals from overcrowding? Jason Elliott is a Senior Counselor On Housing at Newsom based in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia. Q: How can we continue this momentum post-pandemic? Elliott spoke with this news organization about those programs, how they started, and where we go from here. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly made housing affordability a top priority of his administration. Because CARE Court will harm Californians with disabilities, experiencing homelessness, and involved in the criminal legal system, we cannot support this proposal., Cynthia Castillo, a policy advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty, said Newsoms plan seems to be expanding the bureaucracy of homelessness services.. Newsom touted the CARE Court framework last month as an innovative strategy to guide an estimated 7,000 to 12,000 people into housing and much-needed treatment. We vehemently oppose the proposal because it has this coercive court process implemented, and no right to housing, Castillo said. Daniel Seeman, 33, of Sacramento,has been appointedDeputy Cabinet Secretary. Gavin Newsom's proposal to send people another round of government checks, . Jason Elliott is the top housing adviser to Gov. and we're trying to keep up and make sure that we can keep up with protecting Californians," said Jason Elliott, Newsom's senior adviser. Project Roomkey was a public health emergency response to a once-in-a-century pandemic. The Bay Area has pulled together in a very interesting way and focused very much on prevention and stability, which is really good. Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Yes, it has. Jason Elliott, Newsom's adviser on homeless issues, said the partnership between the city of San Diego, Caltrans and City Net is one that could be a model throughout the state. 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. She previously covered startups and venture capital for the Bay Area News Group and prior to that court cases for The Recorder in San Francisco. So our responsibility now as a state is to continue to put fuel in the tank of this solution. Project Roomkey has sheltered more than 35,000 homeless Californians in hotels and motels throughout the state, giving people over 65 or with medical conditions a safer place to ride out the pandemic. Housing | Theyre just exhausted, Newsom said during the KQED interview. Has the federal government embraced it and now is providing 100% reimbursement on the costs? Has it helped us flatten the curve more broadly in California and protect our hospitals from overcrowding? We have the wrong reflex around housing in the state. Please contact CalMatters with any commentary questions: commentary@calmatters.org. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. 4. NettieSabelhaus, 71, of Sacramento,has been appointedSpecial Advisor on Public Safety. The governor also has political incentives to quickly install CARE Courts. 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This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $145,008. As health officials scrambled last March with shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of COVID-19, Jason Elliott wastacklinganother seemingly overwhelming problem: How do we keep the more than 100,000 Californians sleeping on our streets from dying of the virus? Q: Describe what it was like in the governors office when the pandemic hit and you realized we could be dealing with a potentially devastating health crisis for our homeless population? Pasadena to terminate local COVID-19 orders this month Jason Elliott, Gov. But getting a good read on his thinking can be difficult. Q: How did the impact of the pandemic, and the response, differ in the states two regions with the worst homelessness crises the Bay Area, and Los Angeles? Q: What percent of Project Roomkey clients have exited to permanent housing? ChristineHironaka, 31, of San Francisco, has been appointedDeputy Cabinet Secretary. In the Bay Area, the median home price soared to an all-time high of $1.3 million and the statewide median home price broke $800,000 last month. Tell me about that transition and sort of what your role has been. So wed really like to see communities not only continue the portfolio that they have under Project Roomkey, but potentially expand it, and expand it significantly. Mayors of some of the states most populous cities have endorsed the plan as a way to alleviate a humanitarian crisis in full display on their streets. Gov. Ive been really encouraged by the warm embrace of local leaders on Homekey. Elliott has worked in government his whole career, and he met his wife in Gavin Newsoms administration, when Newsom was mayor of San Francisco. 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. 3. He hasnt had a day off in months. California's gas tax is 51.1 cents per gallon, the second highest in the nation. We want to move, and we want to move quickly, Newsom said during a recent interview on KQED. Callahan is a Democrat. Our behavioral health system is stretched very thin.. Under the proposal, family members, behavioral health care providers and first responders, among others, could petition a civil judge to initiate a CARE plan for eligible individuals who lack medical decision-making capacity. Castillo said the anti-poverty group will remain opposed to the CARE Court framework unless lawmakers address the concerns outlined in the letter, especially the plans failure to address access to housing and its insistence on empowering judges to mandate care. Dr. Jonathan Sherin, Los Angeles Countys director of mental health, estimated that CARE Court would target 10% or less of the total homeless population. And then the high risk factor you apply to that population. Newsoms administration believes that 7,000 to 12,000 people could qualify for the court-ordered care, a fraction of the estimated 161,000 people experiencing homelessness in California. Governor Newsom had previously announcedAna J.Matosantosas Cabinet Secretary,Jason Elliott as Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Executive Branch Operations, and Angie Wei as Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Policy Development. No, of course not. hb````` Jason Elliott Title: Senior Counselor to Gov. I will be reviewing the legislation very closely and recommending any amendments necessary to ensure that CARE Courts can truly help those most in need, while not unduly limiting their constitutionally guaranteed rights, he wrote. What could reparations mean for Black residents of Alameda County? And it aimed to protect some of the most vulnerable Californians from a disease that we didnt know anything about. The big takeaway: California is millions of housing units short, and cities hold the key. 1. The Bay Area has pulled together in a very interesting way and focused very much on prevention and stability, which is really good. With a proposed budget of $4.3 million, the unit would hold cities feet to the fire when they break existing housing law, and help them take advantage of laws already in place that streamline regulations and permits. Jason Elliott, Gov. A: California struggles and has struggled for decades to provide adequate housing for people experiencing homelessness. Contact. We started with a lot of ideas. "Sometimes people return to the streets, sometimes they return to . But the question is are we doing better than previous models? Its not really realistic to assume were going to subsidize our way out of this, Elliott said. With a key legislative deadline next week, Newsoms housing adviser speaks about the governors priorities on affordable housing. A: I will point you to the governors budget proposal: $1.75 billion. He also emphasized that just as important as passing new legislation is implementing laws already on the books. To move the needle, Elliott pitched the statewide Housing Accountability Unit, which Newsomproposed in his January budget. Timing is also a key decision for Newsom. 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 easing the statewide housing shortage. Elliott is leaving City Hall to work for Newsom's gubernatorial campaign. Its not really realistic to assume were going to subsidize our way out of this, Elliott said. 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. Were heading down the same path here, Elliott said. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Jason Elliott, Newsoms top housing and homelessness advisor, said Monday that the administration expected some opposition to the proposal. 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. They said they worry that CARE Court would disproportionately target people of color, who are more likely to be homeless and diagnosed with psychotic disorders, and that CARE Court would enable unacceptable shortcuts in the legal system that could remove bodily autonomy and medical decision-making power. Elliott sat down for an exit interview with KQED politics reporter Marisa Lagos. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Many affordable housing developers argue there just isnt the available workforce so that mandate would only increase the cost of construction. Workforce development for those skilled trades is going to be so essential.. Because people just want to get people inside off the streets, Klasky-Gamer said. Yes, it has. Stay in touch. Were coming up with a completely new paradigm, a new approach, a different pathway, and its consistent with our values, Newsom said earlier this month when he announced the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court. hV[k0+eeJ!l>;h\aaK:}>>Z -A Six weeks after Gov. Hebegan his careerat the State Capitolas a legislativeaide to State Senator FranPavley. the political dynamics and economic and racial inequities that have He spearheaded two programs that together wound up being one of the states biggest feats during the unprecedented pandemic. The state must invest in permanent affordable housing options in addition to building interim units such as tiny homes and hotel rooms, she said. He hasnt had a day off in months. Gavin Newsom, Elliott serves as the governors top housing and homelessness adviser. 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. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. You just let it keep rolling. Which is why we need the private sector to do what it does, which is to build housing.. Elliott hopes the Legislature will make $250 million of the $750 million available before Newsom's budget, which will be debated by the Legislature before it is implemented, goes into effect in .