SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Governor Gavin Newsom is making a critical comment to the FOX affiliate in Sacramento regarding the state’s conservatorship reform.
When discussing various topics on homelessness and mental health, Newsom voiced frustration with some counties, including San Diego County, for not moving forward with the reform when it goes into effect in January.
The governor expressed frustrations with other topics related to homelessness and mental health in the interview. Newsom discussed housing being linked to mental health and upcoming ballot measures to provide more housing.
ABC 10News spoke with local homeless advocates about Newsom's comments.
“I don’t understand where he’s coming from,” John Brady, Executive Director of Lived Experience Advisers, said.
“I’m not surprised at it. It’s deflection from what the real problem is,” Martha Sullivan, an organizer for San Diego Housing Emergency Alliance, said.
The reform comes from Senate Bill 43, which, according to the governor’s website, “updates the definition for those eligible for conservatorship to include people who are unable to provide for their personal safety or necessary medical care, in addition to food, clothing, or shelter, due to either severe substance-use disorder or serious mental health illnesses.”
The aim is to help break the cycle of different crises, including homelessness.
One advocate in San Diego County feels the county is handling SB 43 correctly.
“And the one big thing about this SB 43 is the fact that alcoholism and addiction could be a 5150 cause. So effectively, you could be burdening our hospitals and ERs with a tremendous number of additional patients, and we don’t have the resources to resolve that right now,” Brady said.
Earlier this month, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to plan to implement SB 43 by January 2025.
Chairwoman Nora Vargas said on Dec. 5 that she is proud that the county will do it right and well.
“I want to thank my colleagues for their support in helping me implement SB 43 in a way that is methodical and equitable because these are real people and real families seeking care," Vargas said.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who championed SB 43, called the decision disappointing.
“I'm hopeful that the progress report included in the proposal that was passed will hold County staff accountable to implement this desperately needed program to get severely ill people the care they need no later than Jan. 1, 2025,” Gloria said.
Sullivan told ABC 10News she sympathizes with the governor’s frustration, but she feels there are greater needs for what some may have died on the street.
“They didn’t need a conservatorship what they needed was housing that they could afford. What some of them needed was care going along with the housing,” Sullivan said.
