Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday helped clean up a homeless encampment on Caltrans property where a fire recently broke out and announced $50 million in grants to 19 California communities to provide shelter or housing for 1,401 individuals currently living in encampments.
The governor’s visit to the encampment at Woodside Road and El Camino Real followed Redwood City Mayor Giselle Hale’s call to Caltrans and legislative representatives to address unsanctioned encampments at Caltrans right-of-ways. Recently, Caltrans representatives informed the city that three encampments at the location were approved for clean-up, with Hazel/Linden site recently being cleared and the other two — the encampment across from Bed, Bath and Beyond and the one across from Broadway Cleaners — slated to be addressed in the next several weeks. The city’s nonprofit partners regularly conduct outreach at the encampments, the city said.
Of the $50 million the governor has granted to 19 communities, Redwood City is set to receive a $1.8 million grant to rehouse 70 individuals.
Other awards were granted to:
- Santa Barbara County – $2.5 million to rehouse 200 individuals
- San Bernardino County – $1.7 million to rehouse 150 individuals
- City of Richmond – $4.8 million to rehouse 102 individuals
- City of Fresno – $5 million to rehouse 100 individuals
- City of Oakland – $4.7 million to rehouse 100 individuals
- City of San Jose – $2 million to rehouse 100 individuals
- Santa Cruz County – $2.3 million to rehouse 65 individuals
- Orange County – $3.6 million to rehouse 60 individuals
- City of Los Angeles – $1.7 million to rehouse 60 individuals
- City of Petaluma – $1.3 million to rehouse 60 individuals
- City of Tulare – $1.5 million to rehouse 57 individuals
- City of Salinas – $4 million to rehouse 55 individuals
- City of Eureka – $1.6 million to rehouse 50 individuals
- City of Berkeley – $4.7 million to rehouse 45 individuals
- City of Long Beach – $1.3 million to rehouse 40 individuals
- City of Vista – $1.8 million to rehouse 35 individuals
- City of San Rafael – $522 thousand to rehouse 34 individuals
- Marin County – $317 thousand to rehouse 18 individuals
In September 2021, Gov. Newsom set a goal of cleaning 100 encampments, and says 431 have been cleaned since then.
“The state is on course to clear 1,000 encampments by the end of 2022,” his office said.
Mayor Hale expressed appreciation for the governor’s support.
“Redwood City will continue to collaborate with all levels of government in urgently providing services and finding long term solutions,” Mayor Hale said.
Last year, Gov. Newsom announced $12 billion in funding “to help get our most vulnerable Californians off the streets and get them the mental and behavioral health services they need.” Another $2 billion is proposed to advance behavioral health housing and encampment rehousing strategies, his office said. Once fully implemented, the Governor says the multi-year homeless housing plan will provide 55,000 new housing units and treatment slots.
“The 19 communities selected to receive this funding are committed to human centered, scalable and replicable projects, and represent urban, rural and suburban communities across California,” said Lourdes Castro Ramírez, secretary of the business, consumer services and housing agency and co-chair of Cal ICH. “We look forward to supporting these community-led efforts that connect housing, services and human supports, and to scale successful strategies and approaches with future funding as proposed in the Governor’s CA Blueprint budget.”
