On March 5, Californians will be asked to vote on Proposition 1, creating housing and a wide range of treatment options for the state’s unhoused residents with complex mental health and substance use situations.
We recognize that, like any legislation, there are trade-offs with this proposal. But will this move California forward in addressing homelessness and addressing the state’s vast mental health needs? That’s exactly right.
The proposal, known as “Treatment, Not Tents,” would authorize a $6.38 billion bond issue to finance housing. There are an estimated 181,399 Californians without housing. 25% had a severe mental illness and 24% had a substance use disorder. Although there is overlap between these categories, there are no reliable studies that have established estimates.
A lack of care facilities leaves most of these Californians untreated, deepening their suffering and prompting interactions with law enforcement and hospital use. In many cases, the situation is even worse for the unhoused, with emergency rooms clogged with people who need a completely different kind of care. These unhoused Californians are Black, Indigenous, Asian American Pacific Islander, LGBTQ, and especially young people who endure this neglect.
This ballot proposal authorizes investments in supportive housing and treatment facilities to create up to 4,350 housing units, 2,350 of which will be reserved for veterans, and an additional 6,800 mental health and substance use treatment facilities. will be done. An estimated 26,700 outpatient slots will also be created, potentially serving thousands of Californians. Specifically, nearly $3 billion of the $6.38 billion was earmarked for crisis stabilization, subacute and acute care, crisis housing, substance use treatment, and long-term treatment and rehabilitation options. Masu. These settings have been in high demand, but are now being eased.
Housing unhoused individuals, 82% of whom struggle with mental illness, provides a lifeline to build a foundation of stability. They are in a better position to make medical appointments, take medications, look for work, and more. They can escape the chaos of the streets where they cannot engage in care. By helping them build that foundation, we can save lives and millions of dollars at the same time.
Proposition 1 would rename and reprioritize hundreds of millions of dollars generated by the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). The MHSA would be retitled the Behavioral Health Services Act, and 30% of its funding would be directed toward housing assistance, away from prevention, early intervention, and community services. There is a trade-off here. County services for vulnerable populations would be prioritized, with funding directed toward housing and care for other vulnerable populations. Proposition 1 would likely put pressure on county and city governments to backfill these funds, potentially leading to the closure of some programs if funds run out.
We need to look at this bill from a broader perspective. If Proposition 1 isn’t on his upcoming March ballot, what will it mean for California’s homelessness crisis? There will never be a policy that solves all the problems within the behavioral health system. Sho. We must continue to pursue equity in care, but this must not undermine our support for the important solutions provided by this proposal.
Proposition 1 is a game-changer for our state, which is finally recognizing the dire needs of underserved communities. This opens the door for individuals who are past the stage of needing intervention services. Proposition 1 heralds essential resources for mental health and substance use treatment. Re-prioritizing funding will require state and county governments to step up funding for sideline services.
Now is the time to properly fund both issues while voting unequivocally for Proposition 1. This is the best step forward in treating the most neglected among us.
Mark Cloutier is the CEO of Caminar, a behavioral health organization serving more than 31,000 individuals annually in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. He has previously held leadership roles with major health organizations and foundations including Horizons Services, San Francisco Foundation, Youth Wellness Center, Kaiser Family Foundation, and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
