Critics of the plan say the effort is a drop in the bucket in a state where tens of thousands of people experience homelessness every night.

“Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday his administration will provide 1,200 tiny homes to cities and counties around California in an effort to shelter unhoused people in the state, which has the highest rate of homelessness in the nation,” according to an article by Chris Nichols and Nicole Nixon for Cap Radio.
The quick-build shelters are viewed as a cost-effective temporary housing solution and have been adopted by some cities as one way to reduce the number of encampments on public property and connect unhoused residents with resources. “The governor said the tiny homes will cost approximately $30 million and would be set up ‘within months, not years,’ estimating they could be open by this fall.” But the authors point out that some ‘tiny home village’ projects in the state have seen delays and cost overruns.
Critics of the plan say it’s only a band-aid for a much larger problem, stemming in part from a lack of clarity about the responsibilities of state and local agencies. “How can local governments address growing homeless camps on state property, such as along freeways, when it’s not their jurisdiction? How can a city provide mental health or addiction treatment services when only county governments are funded to do so?”
To help agencies at different levels coordinate their efforts, “On Thursday morning, the California Association of Counties, CSAC, unveiled its AT HOME plan with the goal of defining those roles for all levels of government.” The plan, which would require state approval to become law, calls on local and state agencies to collaborate on clear definitions of their roles and jurisdictions.
FULL STORY: Newsom administration to provide 1,200 tiny homes statewide, including 350 for the Sacramento region

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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