Following a record-setting budget surplus in California, Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, and other Republicans in the California State Legislature are calling for $10 billion to be set aside to fund mental health resources for the homeless.

On Thursday, Republicans issued a letter to the budget chairs in the California legislature requesting that $10 billion be used to create the Mental Health Infrastructure Fund, which would provide the homeless with access to mental health services.

“Fortunately, this year California is experiencing a General Fund surplus that we may never see again,” read the letter. “While the Governor’s budget proposes spending more than $2 billion towards one-time county mental health infrastructure needs, we need to think bigger and longer term if we hope to significantly treat the tens of thousands of mentally ill and addicted homeless in California.”

The Mental Health Infrastructure Fund would extend California’s temporary funding program to create new county mental health and addiction treatment facilities.

Counties with the biggest shortages of psychiatric treatment beds would be given the most money.

“The funding would be available over the next four fiscal years in order to close the 7,730 bed deficit within that timeframe,” read the letter. “Any moneys not used within the four-year timeframe could be diverted to bed capacity expansion at the Department of State Hospitals.”

It would also fund new educational institutions focused on behavioral health to increase the number of people working in that field.

That would include the construction of a new California State University in Stockton focused on behavioral-health degrees.

“Up until recently, Democrats in the Legislature were following Governor Newsom’s ‘My way, or the highway’ attitude about the homelessness issue,” said Senator Brian Jones, R-Santee. “And their approach led to just that – more homeless encampments popping up on our highways. We need to clear homeless encampments off our streets, out of our parks, and off of other public property in a humane and compassionate way.”

To read the full letter, click here.

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