By the Editorial Board of La Opinión
Feb 13, 2024, 12:33 PM EST
An important measure that will be submitted to voters this March 5 is Proposition 1, which constitutes progress in the way California – both the state and its individual counties – faces the problem of mental health in its population, and especially among the homeless.
It constitutes the latest part of the mental health reform initiated by current Governor Gavin Newsom. According to state government publications, 28 billion dollars have been invested so far in improving the system.
It comes to voters’ decision after being approved by the state Legislature, under the seal of “Legislatively Submitted State Statute” (LRSS), in motions SB 326 and AB 531.
If approved, Proposition 1 will provide more resources for mental health care and drug and alcohol addiction treatment in psychiatric hospitals and specialized centers, and for the construction of adequate housing for the homeless.
Currently, California counties receive between $10 billion and $13 billion in state tax and federal money to provide mental health care and drug or alcohol treatment to their populations.
About a third of the money counties receive to provide mental health services – between $10 billion and $13 billion – comes from a tax – Proposition 64 – on those who earn more than $1 million a year, passed in 2005.
Of this tax, currently the counties receive 95% and the state 5%, but if the proposition passes the division will be 90% and 10%, meaning that if approved, Prop 1 will derive some funds currently transferred to the counties to the state for the construction of service centers while the counties will increase attention to their population in aspects such as help in obtaining employment and education.
If Prop. 1 passes, the issuance of a $6.4 billion bond will be authorized, payable in 30 years. Of that sum, 4.4 billion will be allocated to the treatment of mental illnesses and housing development related to these treatments. The rest for housing for the homeless, including about a billion for permanent housing for homeless veterans and the same amount to finance housing for other homeless people. Specifically, the state will supply them to local governments to make hotels, motels and other buildings habitable.
With the funds at its disposal, the state will be able to build up to 4,350 housing units for homeless. Of them, 2,350 would be reserved for veterans, thus solving the problem of homelessness for more than 20% of homeless veterans. According to data from January 2022, about 170,000 were homeless in California, of them about 10,500 army veterans.
This reorganization is based on the premise that California currently lacks sufficient mental health or alcohol or drug addiction treatment facilities to serve the entire population. As a result, many people wait for long periods of time to receive this care or do not receive the right type of care.
If Proposition 1 is implemented, it could permanently take thousands of people off the streets and into treatment and put an end to a situation in which people in crisis go to hospital emergency rooms and have no place in health treatment centers. mental.
Vote yes on Proposition 1.