Today Governor Gavin Newsom put forward a nearly $133 million initiative aimed at providing behavioral health bridge housing for Californians in the throes of homelessness and grappling with behavioral health challenges. According to the Governor's Office, the allocated funds will aid counties in supplying temporary, secure lodging allied with essential support services. This move is meant to offer those on the streets dealing with serious mental health or substance use disorder treatment needs a stabilizing stepping stone towards recovery.
The financial boost is part of the Department of Health Care Services’ Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) Program, with $132.5 million being awarded to 10 county behavioral health agencies. The funds represent a follow-up on more than $900 million granted previously for similar efforts. As per the governor's statement, the cash infusion will bolster rental assistance programs, enhance interim housing, and address the housing needs of individuals exiting incarceration among other plans.
The initiative is not isolated but intertwined with other significant steps, like urging counties to leverage conservatorship reform and the CARE Court program. As stated the by Governor's Office, Newsom said, "Bridge behavioral health housing is a crucial component of our larger work to meet the needs of Californians experiencing homelessness who have serious mental health or substance use disorder treatment needs and require urgent housing to stabilize and recover." Newsom impelled the counties to take decisive steps, highlighting that these tools are at their disposal and citing the immediate need for action.
This initiative doesn't stand alone but syncs with Governor Newsom's sustained efforts to address mental health, opioid crises, and homelessness statewide, reinforced by the recent passage of Proposition 1. This legislation secures a $6.4 billion Behavioral Health Bond for treatment facilities and service-integrated housing, revamping the Behavioral Health Services Act to focus aid on those most in need.
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