California Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking the Trump administration for assistance in dealing with the state’s homelessness crisis, marking a shift in the state’s once-defiant approach to federal involvement.
“We welcome the Administration’s recent attention and focus on the national crisis of homelessness. I hope we can jointly develop a federal-state-local strategy to utilize the assets you have put on the table, in partnership with city and county governments throughout the state,” the Democratic governor wrote to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson on Tuesday.
California hopes the Trump administration will provide additional federal land to avoid creating “permanent homeless encampments,” according to Newsom.
President Trump has criticized Newsom and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, over the growing homelessness problem in the state on numerous occasions. Last month, he told Newsom to ask him for assistance “politely.”
“California and New York must do something about their TREMENDOUS Homeless problems,” he tweeted. “They are setting records! If their Governors can’t handle the situation, which they should be able to do very easily, they must call and “politely” ask for help. Would be so easy with competence!”
[Read more: Surging California homeless ‘crisis’ offsets drop in nation: HUD]
California and New York must do something about their TREMENDOUS Homeless problems. They are setting records! If their Governors can’t handle the situation, which they should be able to do very easily, they must call and “politely” ask for help. Would be so easy with competence!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2019
Newsom, 52, issued an originally defiant response to Trump’s critique online, telling reporters during a press conference, “He’s tweeting, we’re doing something. We don’t need him to identify this problem.”
In the letter, Newsom thanked Carson for providing federal resources to move California’s homeless off the streets and repeated a previous request of 50,000 additional housing vouchers. The vouchers would go toward providing housing for low-income families and veterans.
“Housing investment is the only sustainable, scalable way to solve homelessness, and I hope you will show a willingness to engage in a dialogue about this request soon,” Newsom wrote.
