In summary
A recent poll shows that many Californians are undecided whether to vote on Governor Newsom's Proposition 1, which would fund new mental health treatment facilities.
California voters are currently considering a $6.4 billion plan to build mental health treatment beds and housing through a ballot measure that Gov. Gavin Newsom rates as critical to addressing the state's homelessness crisis. .
Proposition 1 is a two-part ballot initiative. This includes deposits to build treatment facilities and permanent supportive housing for people with mental health and addiction issues. It also proposes changing a long-standing tax on personal income over $1 million, known as the Mental Health Services Act, and requiring counties to spend 30% of that income on housing instead of other services. ing.
Newsom previously said Proposition 1 would help California fulfill a decades-old promise to “get people off the streets, out of tents and into treatment.”
The “Yes on Prop. 1” campaign has garnered support from law enforcement, major health care organizations and the mental health advocacy group NAMI California, and has raised about $21 million in war chests for the ballot measure.
In contrast, opposition camps raised little money. Opponents are led by clients of mental health services and some small mental health agencies, who fear the bill could lose funding for programs if passed. Other groups, including the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, opposed the bill because of cost.
Recent polls cast uncertainty on what many initially thought would be an easy victory for the governor. Fifty percent of likely voters supported the measure a week ago, according to a new poll from the University of California, Berkeley's Institute for Government Studies. According to the opinion poll, 34% are opposed and 16% are undecided.
Proposition 1 requires a simple majority to pass.
Here we take a look at what impact this measure will have.
What does Proposition 1 promise?
The dual bond measure and changes to California's so-called “billionaire tax” are part of Newsom's bid to increase the state's mental health and addiction treatment capacity and provide stable housing for people living in encampments. This is an attempt.
The number of Californians without housing has swelled to 181,000 in 2022, according to the most recent count, an increase of 60% over the past decade. A new UCSF study estimates that more than 21,000 homeless people currently experience hallucinations. Meanwhile, the number of acute mental health hospital beds declined by at least 30% between 1995 and 2016, according to the California Hospital Association.
The bond measure will build a total of 11,150 treatment beds and housing units, with some set aside for veterans.
Where will the money go?
Funds raised by this bond will be pooled into two existing state programs: the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program and Project Homekey.
Behavioral health programs will receive $4.4 billion to build 6,800 inpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment beds. The Department of Health Services makes grants to counties and local organizations to build, acquire, and expand treatment capacity. To date, the department has awarded more than $1.6 billion to a variety of programs, including emergency management and children's facilities, as part of existing budget investments.
Project Homekey will receive $2 billion to build 4,350 supportive housing units for people with mental health and addiction issues. Just over half of the units will be set aside for homeless veterans. Project Homekey is an extension of Newsom's pandemic-era efforts to house people living in encampments during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state budget previously gave the Department of Housing and Social Services $736 million to convert hotels, motels and other buildings into housing.
How much does it cost?
Bonds allow government agencies to borrow money and repay the debt over time. According to the nonpartisan Legislative Analysis Service, Proposition 1 is estimated to cost $310 million annually over 30 years, for a total cost of $9.3 billion. Payments would come from the state's general fund.
California is facing state budget cuts for the second year in a row, with some estimates predicting a $73 billion shortfall.
What other changes have you seen recently?
Newsom has made mental health a key issue. If passed, Proposition 1 would be another milestone in his overhaul of California's behavioral health system.
Last year, Mr. Newsom signed legislation that eased the restrictions of California's decades-old conservatorship law, which limits who can participate in involuntary treatment programs.
In 2022, his signature mental health advocacy led to the creation of a special court system to force people with untreated mental health and addiction issues into treatment programs.
And in 2021, Newsom poured more than $4 billion in one-time funding into children's programs to combat rising youth suicide rates and overdoses.
Who objected and why?
A coalition of small mental health organizations, disability advocates, and current clients of the county's mental health programs opposed Proposition 1. They argued that the measure would increase the amount of involuntary treatment and divert funds from local organizations serving hard-to-reach populations. Things like LGBTQ people and communities of color.
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