CA Senate Pro tem Kevin de Leon announced the "No Place Like Home" initiative - ostensibly Prop 63 2.0. If successful, "No Place Like Home" will be the 2nd successful initiative to create permanent supportive housing for people with mental illness who are experiencing chronic homelessness. The initiative calls for $2.2 Billion in funding. Yes, $2.2 Billion.
This is a remarkable response by the Legislature to address a serious problem. The CA Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has provided support and advocacy to the legislative process, moving this initiative forward.
I would love to see the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) rise to this challenge and effectively advocate and secure statewide housing funds for people with developmental disabilities in CA. Housing advocates have been working with local jurisdictions over the past few years to get housing needs numbers for people with developmental disabilities inserted into local housing elements. Consumers, family members, and providers have also advocated statewide- directly to DDS and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities- with little or nothing to show for these efforts.
The need is known, the need is real. Why hasn't there been a statewide effort to secure funding to house people with developmental disabilities? Why?
Darin Lounds, Executive Director Housing Consortium of the East Bay 1440 Broadway, Suite 700 Oakland, CA 94612 dlounds@hceb.org ph 510.828.6295; fax 510.832.1743 http://www.facebook.com/HousingConsortiumoftheEastBay