California voters have approved a $12.7 billion bond to construct additional mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities, as well as homeless housing. Currently, there are only 108,000 ballots remaining to be counted, and the measure is leading with a slim margin of 50.2% to 49.8%, equating to a lead of 29,000 votes. This indicates a highly likely passage for Proposition 1.
“This marks a significant triumph in approaching homelessness with a fresh and innovative perspective,” remarked Governor Gavin Newsom of California, who led the initiative, in an official statement. “The time has come to take action and rectify the detrimental consequences that have resulted from years of unfulfilled commitments and disregard towards those enduring profound mental illness.”
The governor’s recent legislation, SB 43, has been implemented alongside this measure to modify the state’s conservatorship laws. SB 43 broadened the scope of conservatorship, allowing the state to appoint individuals to oversee the care of those who are unable to ensure their personal safety or receive necessary medical attention, in addition to securing food, clothing, and shelter. This applies specifically to individuals facing severe substance use disorder or serious mental health illnesses.
SB 43 provides a mechanism to compel homeless individuals to seek assistance, while Proposition 1, which seeks to establish 11,150 new behavioral health beds and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots, expands the capacity to provide care for them. Additionally, Proposition 1 mandates that counties, as major mental health service providers in the state, allocate 30% of their funding from the Mental Health Services Act towards housing interventions for individuals with behavioral health conditions.
Michelle Doty Cabrera, the Executive Director of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association, emphasized that counties have long advocated for more flexibility in using Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding to support substance use disorder services and programs. However, she expressed concerns about the addition of new requirements to fund housing placements and substance use disorder services from a funding source previously dedicated to mental health services. Cabrera warned that this shift will require counties to collaborate with the state and local communities to find solutions for the existing mental health programs funded through the MHSA.
Lower Democratic turnout and higher Republican turnout resulted in a more conservative electorate for Prop. 1. However, as the state’s budget problems and homelessness crisis persist despite increasing spending, support for Prop 1. declined among Californians across the political spectrum. The measure’s support decreased from 68% in December to 59% in February and ultimately reached just 50% before the March 5 election.
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