California lawmakers are pushing hard to find ways to restore major homelessness and housing program cuts Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed in his revised budget.

The spending plan he presented earlier in the month would deal with an estimated $45 billion deficit by not adding funding for a major state program to tackle homelessness.

It also cut money from a handful of affordable housing programs, just as Newsom is pushing local governments to plan more units for the lowest-income Californians.

Lawmakers want to restore some of those cuts and find a way to continue local homelessness grant funding. Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, said his office would have more to say on these issues in the “days ahead.”

The Legislature must pass a budget by June 15, and negotiations with the governor over contentious issues could drag on until the start of the 2024-2025 fiscal year on July 1.

“I really want to see us not regress on California’s No. 1 issue and the support that is needed,” said Assemblyman Chris Ward, D-San Diego, during a May 16 meeting of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on State Administration.

Lawmakers want to keep funding

Newsom’s revised budget would strip $260 million in extra money for the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program, or HHAP, which provides flexible grant dollars to local governments and organizations.

Local providers will still receive the $1 billion allocated for the fifth round of funding in the 2023-2024 budget. The state is still in the process of disbursing dollars for that round.

But the governor’s revised budget does not include money for future grants.

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