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Newsom defends HAP results, budget assumptions and new grant conditions as reporters press on metrics and federal cuts
Summary
At a Friendship House event, Governor Gavin Newsom defended state homelessness investments and accountability measures tied to HAP 6, responded to questions about HUD point‑in‑time counts and cited $1.1 billion in potential federal Medicaid cuts under HR1 while warning of federal policy uncertainty.
Governor Gavin Newsom used a visit to Friendship House to both celebrate recent progress on homelessness and to defend the administration’s budget assumptions and grant‑distribution conditions.
Newsom credited a combination of state investments, local programs and newer initiatives — including CalAIM, Care Court reforms and HAP distributions — for recent declines in unsheltered homelessness across parts of California. He told reporters the decline figure reported at the event is drawn from Continuums of Care (COCs) reporting the HUD point‑in‑time counts, adding the count is "the most imperfect count you can get." He encouraged listeners to consult the state's accountability dashboard at accountability.ca.gov for county‑level details.
During a Q&A, reporters asked how the state measures accountability and whether San Francisco was included in the 9% decline figure. Newsom said the COCs aggregate city and county data for HUD reporting and acknowledged regional variation; a reporter pointed out San Francisco may not have been included in the cited 9% figure.
On budget matters, Newsom said the state faces an uncertain federal funding environment and cited an estimate of roughly $1.1 billion in medical cuts under federal HR1 that could affect the May Revise. He also referenced potential cuts in CalFresh and other programs and said the administration will "game all this stuff out" during the May budget process.
Reporters pressed the governor about a vetoed bill that would have increased state support for sober housing; Newsom referred to his veto message and said local jurisdictions can use HAP funds and other resources to address sober housing needs.
Why it matters: The governor’s framing ties large state grant programs to new enforcement and compliance conditions that could influence how local jurisdictions apply funds and document outcomes. Budget uncertainty tied to federal actions and litigation, the governor said, may reshape May Revise assumptions.
The session included partisan critique of federal leadership and broader national politics but the substance for California policy centered on distribution conditions, counting methodologies, and budget timing.
