It moves quickly to spend billions in connection with mental health housing

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The Newsom administration is evolving rapidly to distribute billions of dollars in May from the 2024 mental health link closely approved by voters, but concerns emerge on the question of whether the state areas that are most necessary will be left behind, according to the testimony during the legislative surveillance audience this week.

Proposal 1Defended by Governor Gavin Newsom, undertook to inject $ 6.4 billion into the mental health treatment system and state drug addiction. Newsom has promised voters that this decision would help the state Homeless crisiswhich is often publicly associated with Mental health problems and consumption of unsolved substances.

A majority of money, $ 4.4 billion, would be used to build treatment facilities to help respect the estimated state Shortage of 10,000 beds. The rest of the deposit would be used on housing and managed by the State Housing Service.

Newsom wanted to move as quickly as possible. Last year, he announced that the State Release the months of surety for months before the calendar. At a press conference last year, Newsom told the counties to move with a “sense of urgency”.

“You are part of the problem, or you are not. Period, “he said at the time.

But this calendar could neglect counties which have less mental health resources.

“The move of this money quickly has a cost, because there will be some who are left behind,” said Susan Holt, director of behavioral health at the County of Fresno, at the hearing of the health committee of the Assembly on Tuesday.

Small rural counties say that they simply do not have the workforce or expertise to navigate in the requirements of complex subsidies governing this single investment of several billion dollars. A recent Legislative analyst’s office report found that a majority of money distributed from programs similar to Prop. 1 In the past has been in the state regions that need it the least. The region with the highest non -satisfied need, the southern valley of San Joaquin, did not obtain state money in previous financing cycles.

To meet the needs of the population, the region must almost triple its capacity.

Before prop. 1, Holt testified that the County of Fresno had submitted nine grant requests for mainly active care beds and had not received state money.

“I can speak with conviction and assurance that we understand the urgency,” said Holt. “Sometimes with so much money, we have to go a little more slowly to go faster at the end.”

The counties also fear that the state has provided money for treatment facilities but not for workforce or services.

Ryan Miller, analyst of the legislative analyst’s office, examined how the state spent similar funds in the past. His analysis revealed that the State has historically assigned funds to “launch ready projects” which can be completed on a quick calendar, a criterion which gives an advantage to the more sophisticated counties.

What regions have the most mental health funding obtained?

For example, a Rand 2022 study revealed that Los Angeles and the Grand Sacramento Region have sufficient acute adult care capacity, but collectively, these areas have received almost three -quarters of the funding distributed for active care beds, around $ 130 million, according to the analyst’s office. Instead, these areas have a higher need for sub-combination and community residential treatment.

“A large part of resources and staff are necessary to set up a convincing launch project,” said Miller.

The other regions of the state that received less money than expected according to the needs were the interior empire, the central coast and the bay region, Miller said.

The jacqui Irwin assembly, which is the author of the legislation that has put Prop. 1 On the ballot, said that the voters were very skeptical about how the state spends its money and that promises were made to get the money to the counties quickly. But Thousand Oaks Democrat also asked if the accelerated calendar was reasonable.

Prop. 1 has succeeded by the narrowest margins of last year, from 50.2% to 49.8%.

“Do you think that the implementation of the administration … has been too aggressive, or are the objectives realistic?” Irwin said.

State -of -the -art projects, according to him, will succeed

Marlise Perez, head of division of the Ministry of Health Services, rejected the idea that prices would leave small counties.

“I do not want him to seem that we only accept the brightest applications,” said Perez, indicating nearly $ 200 million in subsidies granted to small counties before the prop. 1.

At the same time, the administration must support projects that can really be completed, said Perez.

According to the analyst’s office, 18 small counties have received no funding in previous grant sessions. According to Perez, 16 of them did not apply.

“Unfortunately, we can only attribute who applies. It was a challenge, “said Perez.

His office helps these counties on demand and now expects seven to apply for the next financing series. One of the most difficult subsidy requirements is that the facilities guarantee that they can provide services for the next 30 years.

Still with more than $ 3.3 billion in deployment in two months, there is little room to rotate how money will be targeted. This series of subsidies will once again focus on “Launch Ready” projects. The remaining $ 1.1 billion will be allocated at the beginning of 2026.

The candidates submitted projects totaling more than $ 8.8 billion, double the amount of money available, an indication of serious needs through the State.

Joaquin Arambula assembly, a Democrat in Fresno, said that when the system rewards those who have historically been able to provide services, there was a risk of “cooking in inequalities and historical disparities”.

Supported by California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which strives to ensure that people have access to the care they need when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to find out more.