The interview series examines how candidates would address homelessness, mental health care access, addiction, and public safety
As California voters prepare to elect the state’s next Governor, the Steinberg Institute partnered with CalMatters and Abridged by PBS KVIE to bring critical behavioral health and homelessness issues to the forefront of the 2026 election.
The collaboration features in-depth interviews with four gubernatorial candidates—Steve Hilton (R), Chad Bianco (R), Matt Mahan (D), and Antonio Villaraigosa (D)—focused on the most significant challenges facing California’s mental health and homelessness systems.
The conversations explored how candidates would approach major policies and initiatives shaping those systems, including CARE Court, Housing First, and accountability for recent state investments. Six key themes were addressed:
- Mental health and substance use treatment access and quality
- Housing, homelessness trends, and funding
- CARE Court and parameters for involuntary treatment
- Medi-Cal and structural barriers to care
- Equity and community safety
- Housing First, federal policy, and substance use
The interviews come at a pivotal moment for California. Over the past decade, the state has invested more than $16 billion in behavioral health and homelessness initiatives through efforts like Proposition 1 and Behavioral Health Transformation. At the same time, Californians continue to face rising public frustration over encampments, growing behavioral health needs, workforce shortages, and uncertainty around looming federal funding cuts through HR 1.
Through this partnership, the Steinberg Institute seeks to elevate substantive, solutions-focused conversations around behavioral health policy and help inform voters before California’s June primary election.
Watch the full interviews and explore additional resources here: https://steinberginstitute.org/california-governor-candidates-on-homelessness-mental-health/
Read the full CalMatters article summarizing key stances from each candidate: https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/05/ca-governor-candidates-homelessness/