NEWS: Amid Budget Presentation, New Poll Shows Strong Disapproval of State's Handling of Homelessness and Affordability
May 14, 2021
98% of voters identify homelessness as a serious crisis in the Golden State
For Immediate Release
Advocates for Empowerment California
May 14, 2021
Contact: Anna Bahr, annab@todco.org
SACRAMENTO -- On the heels of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $12 billion plan to confront the homelessness crisis, a new poll of likely voters released today shows that a stunning 98% of Californians identify homelessness as as a serious crisis in the Golden State.
“California voters are crystal clear: we have failed,” said Jane Kim, spokesperson for Build Affordable Faster California. “Extreme wealth inequality and a wildly unaffordable housing market have made homelessness the status quo. It’s time for our elected representatives to lead— we must correct the state’s massive underinvestment in shelter and affordable homes and get moving on new solutions.”
Voters understand the critical importance of cutting off homelessness at its source: housing insecurity. To prevent vulnerable working people from ending up on the street, more than 60% of Californians support an extension of the state’s eviction moratorium, which is set to expire this June -- and 64% want to deliver $5.2 billion to help low-income renters to pay back-rent and make future rent payments.
And while a majority of voters (52%) approve of Gavin Newsom’s performance as Governor, almost two-thirds (66%) disapprove of the State's overall response to homelessness.
In fact, a strong majority voters want the Governor to go further than his budget revise proposes -- 68% of voters support new state legislation that would direct $20 billion over the next five years on a variety of housing programs to address homelessness, including both permanent new housing and temporary facilities.
Voters are similarly supportive of legislation that would require every California city and county to make a plan to provide shelter or housing for all homeless people within 20 years.
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A4ECA is a project of Tenants and Owners Development Corporation (TDCO), a nonprofit community-based community development corporation in San Francisco’s dynamic South of Market Neighborhood (SOMA) since 1971. TODCO has built, owns, and operates 950 units of affordable senior and SRO housing for lower-income San Franciscans. For 45 years it has been fully engaged in SOMA’s many civic/urban/social/economic planning issues and initiatives.
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