Gubernatorial candidates court homeless, housing advocates

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As the executive director of the Yolo County Housing Authority, Ian Evans said it’s their mission to get people from across the economic spectrum into housing, and why he wanted to hear from gubernatorial candidates about fixing housing issues in the state, he said are challenging to say the least.

“I think it’s particularly challenging right now because we’re being faced with, you know, multiple shifts and programs, different funding cuts at a federal level,” Evans said. “And having to navigate that while maintaining folks’ housing as much as possible.”

Housing California put on the forum to discuss affordable housing with candidates.

The organization said it invited all candidates to participate.

Philanthropist Tom Steyer, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former California Controller Betty Yee all attended.

Many touched on needing permanent funding for affordable housing, which often fluctuates year-to-year at the state and federal level and often requires applying for multiple grants that can run up costs into the tens of thousands, Evans said.

“Get the funding they [organizations/departments] need in one application, so they don’t have to go through these different timelines, these different regulations, these different requirements that add up all those costs,” Evans said.

Steyer said that to create a permanent fund, we need to grow public funds, implementing strategic financing.

“We’ve got to start treating this like a public bank,” Steyer said. “Used to make housing a public investment vehicle.”

Thurmond said other tax sources should be looked at.

“We do have to have permanent funding. And for starters, I say we tax the billionaires and get more revenue,” Thurmond said.

A National Low-Income Housing Coalition report said California is short one million low-income homes, while Enterprise Community Partners finds nearly 40,000 units ready to build but missing final funding — a gap driving homelessness, said Villaraigosa.

“We’ve got to build supply. Why don’t we do it?” Villaraigosa said. “Because we make it impossible to build in this state, with an over-regulated environment.”

Yee said helping renters on the verge of losing their homes needs to be part of the unhoused conversation.

“I would like to see some formal rental assistance program brought back,” Yee said. “That could be relied upon for those who need the help.”

Evans said there are many factors at play that could force people into an unhoused situation, including immigration reform, such as from the federal government for families who comprise of mixed immigration status in a home.

“It says that entire household would be ineligible for a subsidy,” Evans said. “Which means that they would not be able to afford their rent and likely would end up homeless.”

He said he was pleased to hear from candidates on such important topics, and as of now, he’s undecided when it comes to his vote.