By Vanguard Staff
SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced more than $52 million in federal grants to support local housing, infrastructure and homelessness initiatives, with 90 projects funded across 53 counties through Community Development Block Grants and Emergency Solutions Grants. The administration said the awards will help local governments address critical needs ranging from sewer and street upgrades to public facilities, shelter operations and homelessness prevention.
“We’re delivering for our communities — full stop,” Newsom said in a statement released by his office. “Whether it’s housing, infrastructure, or homelessness services, we’re stepping up and standing shoulder to shoulder with local leaders to make sure they have what they need. These grants are about strengthening neighborhoods and ensuring communities across California can thrive, while preserving the pride people have in the places they call home.”
The administration said the grants include 38 Community Development Block Grant projects in 20 counties, which will reach more than 160,000 Californians. Those awards will fund business assistance, homebuyer support, public facility improvements, and upgrades to sewer and street infrastructure. The projects include an economic development loan initiative in Crescent City and a homebuyer-assistance program in Ukiah. Six park and community center improvements will be funded in Capitola, Corning, Eureka, Firebaugh, Oroville and Imperial County. Infrastructure projects in Dinuba, King and Marysville will receive support for sewer and street work, and several rural and small cities will receive planning and technical assistance grants.
Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Tomiquia Moss said the grants represent an important federal tool to support communities. “For more than fifty years, Community Development Block Grants have been a key tool for creating housing and economic opportunity in American communities,” Moss said. “From food banks to fire protection equipment, HCD is making these awards to help meet the critical needs of Californians and expand access to opportunity.”
HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez said the awards will help rural communities and low-income residents. “The CDBG grants awarded this year will foster improved quality of life for low-income Californians in rural communities in every corner of the state,” Velasquez said. “From the North Coast, to the colonias, our stewardship of federal funding will transform infrastructure and uplift some of our most vulnerable residents, building a stronger, more equitable California future.”
Imperial County will receive funding for two colonia-focused projects after applying for facility improvements and planning assistance. The county will use the funds to add generators and HVAC upgrades to community buildings so they can operate during heat waves and outages. The county will also update its Colonias Master Plan to identify long-term infrastructure investments for nine colonia communities near the border that lack basic services.
The administration said $14.3 million in Emergency Solutions Grants is being distributed to 52 projects in 25 counties to support local governments and service providers. Those grants will allow jurisdictions to operate and improve emergency shelters, provide rapid rehousing, fund outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness, and support prevention programs.
State officials described the grants as part of a broader strategy to address housing shortages and homelessness that the Newsom administration has pursued since 2019. Those efforts include expanding behavioral health treatment, supportive housing and community-based psychiatric care; approving Proposition 1 in 2024 to fund mental health treatment settings and housing; updating conservatorship laws for individuals with severe mental illness or substance use disorders; and establishing the CARE Court system to create court-ordered treatment plans for some individuals with untreated mental illness.
The administration pointed to CEQA changes and state oversight of local housing plans as part of its approach to streamline production. According to Newsom’s office, the state is enforcing accountability measures requiring cities and counties to create shelter capacity and build housing, and has paired those expectations with state funding programs. Officials highlighted efforts to address encampments by linking individuals with services. The Governor’s Office noted that Newsom filed an amicus brief in support of the authority to clear encampments and issued an executive order following a Supreme Court ruling affirming local government power.
The announcement framed the new grants within the context of statewide homelessness trends. The Governor’s Office said unsheltered homelessness rose sharply between 2014 and 2019 before Newsom took office, but that state efforts have slowed growth while national homelessness rose. In 2024, homelessness nationally increased by more than 18 percent. State officials said California’s overall increase was limited to 3 percent, with unsheltered homelessness increasing less than 1 percent. The administration pointed to reductions in veteran homelessness and progress in reducing youth homelessness as areas of improvement.
According to the administration, the grants reflect federal dollars being combined with state policies and priorities, and the Governor’s Office emphasized that funding will assist large and small jurisdictions across urban, suburban and rural areas. State officials said they view the funding as a continuation of long-term policy changes aimed at supporting housing access, improving mental health and behavioral health capacity, and increasing services for people experiencing homelessness.
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Categories: Breaking News Homeless Housing State of California Tags: California Gavin Newsom Governor Gavin Newsom Grants Homelessness Housing Infrastructure