SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Scott Wilk, R – Antelope Valley, announced that he has submitted a letter to Governor Jerry Brown commending him for joining his fight to fund the state’s Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council and to request that he stay steadfast in his commitment to do so.
Wilk last week appeared before the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review to request funding for the Council and Governor Brown’s revised budget subsequently included that funding.
“Governor Brown’s revised budget proposal includes the very funding we requested last week for the Homeless Council. It is imperative that the Governor not waver on his commitment to this important and fiscally affordable way to make a real impact on our homeless crisis,” said Wilk. “We requested this funding, the Governor has proposed it in his budget, now it’s time for the Legislature to prioritize it as well.”
The state’s Homeless Council was created in 2016 but was never funded or staffed. Senator Wilk added that he believes California’s efforts to address homelessness are mere lip service without money to back them up.
Wilk’s request, submitted together with Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, stems from a report released last week by the California State Auditor who, at the request of Wilk, investigated California’s efforts to solve the homeless problem and found woeful inadequacies detailed in the scathing report.
“I am thankful to the state auditor for digging deep into our actions, and lack thereof, on this issue and laying out in her report a pathway forward,” said Wilk. “It’s time now that we as a Legislature embark down that path and funding the Council is the first step in that very important direction.”
Wilk said this modest allocation will benefit the entire state and ultimately pay for itself as the Council is able to help local agencies get more organized and receive additional funding from the federal government through its Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).