California Gov. Gavin Newsom bashed the Trump administration in a speech about his plan to take responsibility for the homelessness crisis in his state.
In his State of the State address on Wednesday, Newsom vowed to take on California’s homelessness crisis and goaded listeners to stop ignoring the problem.
“Every day, the California Dream is dimmed by the wrenching reality of families, children, and seniors living unfed on a concrete bed. Most of us experience homelessness as a pang of guilt, not a call to action,” Newsom said.
He added, “Some of the most troubling increases have occurred in rural areas, in small towns and remote parts of our state. No place is immune. No person untouched. And too often, no one wants to take responsibility.”
The governor explained that the homelessness population in California has exceeded 150,000, which is the largest in the nation and the second-largest per capita. In the last two years, the state has dumped $1.5 billion into potential solutions for the crisis only for the situation to get worse.
President Trump has criticized Newsom and the state of California for failing to curb the homelessness crisis in the state. He also ripped House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents parts of San Francisco, for allowing her district to become “one of the worst anywhere in the U.S.”
Newsom passed part of the blame for the homelessness crisis on the Trump administration, especially the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He claimed funding cuts in the department contributed to the boom of homelessness in the state, saying, “I’m old enough to remember when HUD was in the housing business. And I’m hopeful it will be again.”
The governor also weighed in on the recent spat between Trump and former President Barack Obama regarding who deserves credit for the current economic boom, saying, “California is the rocket fuel powering America’s resurgence, that — let me be clear — was put into motion by President Barack Obama.”
Newsom did manage to place some of the blame on the state itself. He asked the state legislature to repeal some of the strict environmental standards that have made constructing new housing more costly.
