SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is awarding almost $200 million to communities across the state to help people living on the streets into supportive housing.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an additional $199 million in grants added to the Encampment Resolution Fund, or ERF, with the goal of assisting 7,300 people from living on the streets on a visit to MacArthur Park, formerly home to an encampment in Long Beach.
The grant money will be split up between 23 different projects in 22 different communities.
“The bottom line [is] people are done listening to people like me talking about how much money we’re spending,” Newsom said. “They want to see results. They want to see it. They want to feel safer. They want to see the encampments cleaned up. They want the tents off the streets.”
Last year, Long Beach was awarded $1.3 million to clear encampments like the one at MacArthur Park and get people into temporary and permanent housing.
Liane Cruz and her brother lived at the encampment for two years. With the help of the city, they moved to a nearby hotel recently.
“I’m glad at the hotel, otherwise I’d be at the park still,” she said.
Cruz notes she lost everything after her boyfriend died of diabetes a few years ago and ended up on the streets.
“People don’t really understand what it’s like until you’ve been in it,” Cruz adds.
Cruz said she hopes to be next on the list for permanent housing.
“I think this is a demonstrable example of success, where you had 40 folks that were helped by a specific encampment resolution grant that the state established a few years ago,” Newsom said.
This year, Los Angeles County will receive the largest portion of the funds being awarded $59.5 million to help 3,000 people on Skid Row.
Through the ERF, the governor has set a goal of providing $750 million to help 10,000 people living on the streets.
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