As Gov. Gavin Newsom looks ready to leave California along with the millions who’ve already moved, his Republican challenger in the 2022 California governor’s race is readying a campaign of reform that underscores his commitment to California and the people who live here.
After two decades of Democrats’ rule, California has become home to cost of living increases crowding out the middle class and contributing to the Golden State’s highest-in-nation homeless population, State Sen. Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, told the Northern California Record.
Making California livable for all Californians is one of his top goals, including streamlining the process to build more housing.
Newsom promised to build 3.5 million more housing units that hasn’t happened, Dahle said. Instead, home prices and homelessness have risen during Newsom’s time as governor, and state legislation to increase housing units has faced lawsuits and resistance, he said. Plans to turn existing vacant office or retail space into shelters or affordable housing has also faced pushback.
“There's a permitting process that’s difficult in California,” Dahle said. “We do lots of exemptions for stadiums – we still do the environmental work, but we fast track it, and we need to do the same thing for housing.”
Along with being the third most expensive state to live in, California has more people experiencing homelessness than any other state. Tent cities have become the norm in dozens of regions.
Dahle said homelessness must be approached as a public health crisis with a multi-tiered effort, and while the current governor has emphasized a micromanage, one-size-fits all approach, shelter needs to come with drug enforcement and counseling that reflect the problems specific to that area.
“Because every community is different – what happens in San Francisco and San Diego is not the same as what happens in Bakersfield and Redding,” said Dahle, who served on the Lassen County Board of Supervisors for 16 years and was elected to the Legislature in 2012. “Locals know their communities best, and we need resources to help them with homelessness.”
Dahle said he would also prioritize grant funding for faith-based and community organizations that provide sober living facilities and other addiction treatment services.
“They’re helping treat people with people who have already come through addiction,” Dahle said. “But the state doesn’t allow the money to be spent there. My wife, Megan, and I both represent people who help people get clean and sober and off the street, and they weren’t eligible for state dollars. What I'm talking about is making sure that we have funds available for programs that are successful."
The $17 billion spent on homelessness under the Newsom administration has not resulted in significant change, said Dahle, adding that he would also increase efforts help address the shortage of mental health counselors.
“We need grant funding for college programs for residents who want to be mental health clinicians,” Dahle said.
The next installment of the Record’s interview with Senator Dahle will run next week.