By Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Councilmember At-Large–
California is facing a housing affordability crisis with housing costs exceeding growth in wages, particularly for low-income households. In California, approximately 2.5 million low-income households are cost burdened, spending more than 30% of their incomes on housing. Of those 2.5 million low-income households, 1.5 million face severe cost pressures, spending more than half of their income on housing. Job loss or an unexpected expense could result in homelessness for this group of individuals.
The high cost of housing is a significant contributing factor to California’s homelessness crisis. This causes many challenges, as homelessness has long-term and serious consequences to the health and safety of those who experience it, including life-long behavioral health challenges. As of the most recent point-in-time count from January 2020, California has approximately 161,500 individuals experiencing homelessness, which represents 20% of the total homeless population in the country. This statistic is even more stark given that California’s overall population only represents 12% of the country’s total population.
In response to the mounting challenges around homelessness, in July of 2020, California launched its Homekey initiative, allocating funding to local public agencies to buy underused properties, and develop a broad range of housing types for permanent or interim affordable housing. Lauded for allowing local jurisdictions to develop housing strategies that best fit the needs of their homeless populations, available resources, and market conditions, Homekey has been a core element of our state and local effort to provide housing to our most vulnerable residents. In order to build on the success of the Homekey program, I introduced a resolution that was heard by the Oakland City Council on April 19. It urges the state to fund all pending Homekey applications.
The rising homeless crisis warrants a substantial and urgent response, commensurate with the magnitude of the crisis. Given that the state is anticipating a $45.7 billion surplus for the 2022–23 fiscal year, and $20.6 billion will be available for discretionary use, my resolution strongly urges the State of California to fund all pending Homekey Applications in order to promptly respond to our serious affordable housing needs. With multiple pending Homekey applications awaiting awards statewide, a substantial number of individuals could be helped off the streets and into better facilities for a cost that would be a tiny fraction of the State surplus.
The state of California and the City of Oakland, and others, have declared that we are facing a homeless crisis, and lack adequate affordable housing. Oakland has sought to remedy this crisis by dedicating public lands and other resources to providing affordable housing. In that same vein, the City Council in December 2021 and January 2022 adopted resolutions that authorized the City Administrator to jointly apply for, accept, and enter into standard agreements as a local agency partner for funds from the State’s Homekey Program with several projects.
The State Homekey Program is currently in the process of awarding approximately $1.45 billion in grant funding to local public entities to sustain and rapidly expand housing for persons experiencing homelessness or who are at-risk of homelessness. Although the State of California has issued multiple Homekey awards to other jurisdictions, there are many excellent projects, both in Oakland and elsewhere, which have not yet been approved for funding. California needs to fully fund all Homekey projects in Oakland and throughout the state so we can bolster the fight to take people off the streets and give them the security of a home with a key.
Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan, who is the Vice Mayor of Oakland, was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland (https://twitter.com/Kaplan4Oakland) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Kaplan4Oakland/).
Published on April 21, 2022
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