Michele Steeb: Newsom's plans to eliminate family homelessness, spend Calif. surplus are depressingly clueless

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently concluded a five-day road show in which he illustrated, for his pandemic-weary constituents, how he plans to distribute an unprecedented $75 billion state budget surplus, plus an additional $27 billion in federal stimulus funds. A $12 billion investment to address homelessness is a once in a century opportunity for California.

I read Newsom’s plan with interest, informed by 13 years of building and running northern California’s largest and most effective program for homeless women and children, Saint John’s Program for Real Change. While more housing for the homeless is needed, Newsom’s plan falls depressingly short of what is needed to address the state’s homelessness crisis. Policy change is required.