California has not delivered any of the tiny homes that Governor Gavin Newsom promised to the homeless last year, according to a new report.
In March 2023, Newsom promised to send 1,200 tiny homes to four cities in the state. So far, only 150 have been purchased, as reported by CalMatters. The cause of the delay is unclear, with the state sometimes blaming local governments, despite some local officials quickly approving projects.
“Gov. Gavin Newsom said he’d send tiny homes to San Jose, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego County. Why haven’t any materialized yet?” the report asked.
Newsom’s March 2023 plan involved buying 500 tiny homes for Los Angeles, 350 for Sacramento, 200 for San Jose, and 150 for San Diego. The California National Guard was supposed to help deliver them once bought.
These homes, as small as 120 square feet, can be assembled in 90 minutes and are cheaper than permanent housing. Newsom said they would help clear homeless encampments, which cities can’t remove if there are no shelter beds available.
The plan changed from the state buying and supplying homes to giving cities cash grants to order the homes themselves. Six vendors were tasked with supplying the homes, but most haven’t received any orders.
Kam Valgardson, general manager of Irontown Modular, a vendor, said they were “shocked” they hadn’t received any orders. He expressed concern that homeless people are not getting the support they need despite promised funds.
There have been delays and changes in how the state funds the units and local authorities find places for them. Even when local leaders moved quickly, the tiny homes still haven’t been built.
CalMatters reported it was denied access to emails between the governor’s office and state officials because such communications are exempt from public records laws.
Monica Hassan, deputy director of the Department of General Services, said Sacramento has started building its tiny home site and funded the other three locations, meaning the state is keeping its promise. She said focusing only on timelines ignores the hard work being done.
Governor’s chief of staff Jason Elliot blamed local governments for the delay, saying they have bought almost none of the tiny homes. He noted the state has invested billions and passed laws to speed up action but needs local commitment.
Newsom has faced criticism for handling the homeless crisis. California has about one-third of the nation’s homeless population, and the number of homeless people in the state is growing, up 6% from last year.
Critics also note that there are no records of how the billions spent on the crisis have improved the situation. Despite this, Newsom recently called his state a “national model” for fighting homelessness, a claim some ridiculed as delusional.