Share
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday asked President Donald Trump to approve more housing vouchers as Trump’s administration weighs in on the state’s massive homelessness problem.
Members of the administration visited Los Angeles last week to view the city’s sprawling homeless encampments after Trump told his staff to develop policy options to address the national crisis of people living on the streets.
The governor, a Democrat, and officials representing California cities and counties sent the Republican president a letter asserting that “shelter solves sleep, but only housing solves homelessness.”
Their letter asks Trump to provide 50,000 more housing vouchers through two existing programs and to increase the value of the vouchers to account for high rents. That would help “a significant proportion of our unsheltered population,” including thousands of military veterans, they wrote.
Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, invited Trump in July to tour the city’s streets. Garcetti estimated that 36,000 people in the city are homeless on any given night, while thousands sleep on streets in other California cities.
Asking to Increase Funding for 300,000 New Housing Vouchers
Newsom’s office could not immediately say how much more the voucher proposal would cost.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development officials did not immediately comment.
The California officials also asked Trump to create a program to encourage landlords to work better with voucher holders.
“Pairing more vouchers with an increase in the fair market rent value of the vouchers, you have the ability to make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many who suffer on our streets,” the officials wrote.
They defended California’s attempts to deal with poverty while contrasting the administration’s “significant cuts” to public housing and community grant programs. They asked Trump to also work with Congress to increase funding for 300,000 new housing vouchers nationwide.
Friant Needs $90 Million to Pay for Massive Canal Project. Who Will Pony Up?
2 hours ago
Ukraine’s Surprise Attack Has Forced Russia to Change Plans
4 hours ago
Californians Will Vote on $18 Minimum Wage. Workers Want $25 and More.
4 hours ago
Ricardo Lara Deserves Credit for Trying to Solve California’s Home Insurance Crisis
5 hours ago
Mark Gardner on Giants’ 2014 World Series Title, Why Fresno Turns Out Great Players
5 hours ago
What the Republican Party Might Look Like if Trump Loses
6 hours ago
CVS Grant Will Help Make Food Bank Mission About Fresno Jobs as Well as Food
24 mins ago
Categories
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/14143723/Fresno-Mission-City-Center-First-Fruits-Market-tomato-1280X720-1024x576.jpg)
CVS Grant Will Help Make Food Bank Mission About Fresno Jobs as Well as Food
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/14154055/A-former-school-principal-from-Dinuba-faces-murder-charges-after-a-December-2023-DUI-collision-that-killed-a-mother-and-daughter-and-injured-others-the-Tulare-County-DAs-office-announced-Wednesd-1024x538.jpg)
Former Dinuba School Principal Faces Life in Prison for DUI Deaths of Mom, Daughter
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/14140813/IMG_7344-2048x1484-1-1024x576.jpg)
Friant Needs $90 Million to Pay for Massive Canal Project. Who Will Pony Up?
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/14125622/Apartments-damaged-by-falling-missile-debris-injury-several-people-in-Kursk-Russia-on-Tuesday-Aug.-13-2024.-Ukraine-pressed-ahead-with-its-assault-inside-Russian-territory-on-Tuesday-a-week-1024x538.jpg)
Ukraine’s Surprise Attack Has Forced Russia to Change Plans
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/14092611/020924_FAST_FOOD_UNION_JAH_CM_00739.jpg-1024x576.jpg)