What is Proposition 2?
Proposition 2 will provide permanent supportive housing linked to treatment and services to help people with serious mental illness who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.
Why do we need Proposition 2?
We have a homelessness crisis in California that is straining our neighborhoods, businesses and public services. More than 134,000 Californians are living on the streets and as many as one-third of them are suffering from untreated mental illness.
We also know the solution: Research shows that providing permanent supportive housing, linked to intensive services, has proven successful at getting people who are homeless and have a serious mental illness off the streets and into effective care. A recent RAND analysis that tracked a permanent supportive housing program in Los Angeles County found the foundation of housing helped get more than 3,500 people off the streets since 2012 and reduced taxpayer costs by 20 percent.
Who is the target population to be served?
Prop 2 will help adults with serious mental illness and children with severe emotional disorders and their families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
How does Proposition 2 work?
Prop 2 builds permanent supportive housing linked to mental health treatment and services – at no new cost for taxpayers – under a $2 billion bond. The bond will be financed using the Mental Health Services Act, also known as Proposition 63, the millionaire’s tax passed by California voters in 2004 that now generates $2.2 billion annually to improve mental health care across the state. Prop 2 will use just 6 percent of the annual revenue generated under the Act, with funding going to local communities and all California counties to support planning and construction of permanent supportive housing. The housing must be linked to support services for residents that are on site or easily accessible.
Who supports Proposition 2?
Prop 2 has broad support from medical professionals, mental health advocates, public safety officials, affordable housing advocates and more.
No Place Like Home was originally conceived by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg as a natural evolution of the Mental Health Services Act and a recognition of the need to scale up statewide a proven model of treatment for a singularly vulnerable population: adults and children living on the streets with a serious mental illness.
Prop 2 supporters include: National Alliance of Mental Illness California (NAMI CA); Mental Health America of California (MHAC); Mayor Darrell Steinberg; the Steinberg Institute; League of California Cities; California State Association of Counties; Dignity Health; Kaiser Permanente; California Association of Veteran Service Agencies; the League of Women Voters of California; National Association of Social Workers – California Chapter; Bay Area Council; California Chapter of American College of Emergency Physicians; California Police Chiefs Association; California Primary Care Association; California Professional Firefighters; California Democratic Party; City & County of Los Angeles; and St. Joseph Center.
What can I do to help pass Proposition 2?
Tell your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues to vote YES on Prop 2 this November! Learn how we can all play an important role in helping end homelessness in California and alleviating the unnecessary suffering of people living on the streets with untreated mental illness. Share information from our website, endorse the measure and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.