Far-left California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday that he believes medical doctors should be able to prescribe people housing in the same manner that they prescribe medication to people who are sick.
“Health care and housing can no longer be divorced. After all, what’s more fundamental to a person’s well-being than a roof over their head?” Newsom said during his State of the State address. “Doctors should be able to write prescriptions for housing the same way they do for insulin or antibiotics.”
“Why not?” Newsom continued. “That’s the aim of CalAIM, transforming Medi-Cal as we know it, backed by a $695 million budget request to make this real.”
“Of course, the effectiveness of all of this hinges on an individual being capable of accepting help, to get off the streets and into treatment in the first place,” Newsom added. “Some, tragically, are not. That’s why we need better legal tools, ones that allow local governments, health providers, and law enforcement to more effectively help people access the treatment they need.”
“California’s behavioral health laws may have been ahead of their time, but today, call out for reform,” Newsom continued. “We must tailor these policies to reflect the realities of street homelessness today, which are so different than they were 50 or even 15 years ago when these laws were enacted.”
WATCH:
Newsom, getting deep: “Doctors should be able to write prescriptions for housing the same way they do for insulin and antibiotics. Why not?” pic.twitter.com/8BD7eSkla8
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 19, 2020
A December report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revealed that homelessness is on the rise in the U.S. and that Democrat-controlled California was the main force driving the increase in the U.S. homelessness rate.
“While the rest of the country experienced a combined decrease in homelessness in 2019, significant increases in unsheltered and chronic homelessness on the West Coast, particularly California and Oregon, offset those nationwide decreases, causing an overall increase in homelessness of 2.7 percent in 2019,” HUD said in a statement. “Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia reported declines in homelessness between 2018 and 2019, while 21 states reported increases in the number of persons experiencing homelessness. Homelessness in California increased by 21,306 people, or 16.4 percent, which is more than the total national increase of every other state combined.”
“As we look across our nation, we see great progress, but we’re also seeing a continued increase in street homelessness along our West Coast where the cost of housing is extremely high,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “In fact, homelessness in California is at a crisis level and needs to be addressed by local and state leaders with crisis-like urgency. Addressing these challenges will require a broader, community-wide response that engages every level of government to compassionately house our fellow citizens who call the streets their home.”
HUD noted the following key findings from its report [emphasis is HUD’s]:
- 567,715 people were homeless, representing an overall 2.7 percent increase from 2018 but a nearly 11 percent decline since 2010.
- 37,085 Veterans were reported as homeless, a decline of 2.1 percent from 2018 and 50 percent since 2010.
- 53,692 families with children experienced homelessness last January, down nearly 5 percent from 2018 and more than 32 percent since 2010.
- Homelessness increased in California by 21,306 people, or 16.4 percent, accounting for more than the entire national increase.
- The estimated number of persons experiencing long-term, chronic homelessness increased 8.5 percent between 2018 and 2019. This increase was concentrated on the West Coast, with the largest increases in California.
- The number of unaccompanied homeless youth and children in 2019 is estimated to be 35,038, a 3.6 percent decline since 2018. HUD and local communities are engaged in a more intense effort to more accurately account for this important, difficult-to-count population.