Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday accused Santa Clara County of delaying new conservatorship reforms aimed at bringing more homeless people off the street and into treatment — and warned of potential penalties for dragging their feet.
The reforms are part of a controversial bill Newsom signed this year to ease restrictions on those who can be ordered into treatment centers against their will. During a briefing with reporters, the governor singled out Santa Clara, and a handful of other counties outside the Bay Area, for not phasing in the changes until 2026.
“The counties are the frontlines of this battle to address the crisis of our time, and that’s what’s happening on the streets and sidewalks,” he said. “They have to do their job with a deeper sense of urgency. They have to recognize people are dying on their watch.”
County officials did not respond directly Friday to Newsom’s criticisms.
Reform backers argue the current conservatorship system, which has been in place for decades, makes it difficult to help those with severe mental illness who are unable to care for themselves. They say it’s left too many people stuck in cycles of human suffering, bouncing in and out of jails and hospitals and languishing on the street.
A recent report by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative found that most of California’s more than 170,000 homeless residents experienced mental health disorders at some point in their lives, but that most became homeless because of high housing costs and low incomes. While often the most visible, those with severe, chronic mental health issues make up a minority of the homeless population.
In Santa Clara County, about a third of the estimated 9,900 local homeless people have ongoing psychiatric conditions, according to the latest county count. However, it’s unclear how many would qualify for a conservatorship.
The changes come as Newsom, who is widely considered to have national political ambitions, is under mounting public pressure to get a handle on homelessness. The crisis was front and center during his prime-time debate with Republican presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this month.
“People are demanding more, and they’re right,” Newsom said Friday.
In addition to the conservatorship reforms, Newsom has led the charge on CARE Court, a new statewide effort started in eight counties, including San Francisco, making it easier for judges to order treatment plans for people in crisis. On Friday, Newsom praised those counties for kicking off the program this fall and estimated it could help about 2,000 people by this time next year.
Many civil rights groups, however, have argued that instead of expanding programs that strip people of their autonomy, the focus should be on bolstering voluntary treatment programs, building supportive housing and hiring desperately needed mental health workers.
Ordering more people into treatment plans and facilities “fails to address the real needs of Californians living with mental health disabilities, especially those who are unhoused,” the nonprofit Disability Rights California wrote in a June letter to state officials as lawmakers were considering the conservatorship law, SB 34.
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To close the glaring gaps in the state’s mental health system, Newsom is also pushing a March 2024 ballot measure to overhaul mental health spending and raise $6.4 billion for 10,000 new treatment beds and supportive housing. City and county officials across California are expected to throw their weight behind the measure.
For local governments the state deems aren’t doing their part to address homelessness and mental health, the governor promised new accountability measures. He was short on specifics but pointed to possibly holding back state funding for local homelessness programs.
“Now, we’re going to drive accountability,” he said, “and consequences.”
