• Gov. Gavin Newsom laid a wreath at the Wall of Heroes memorial in the California National Guard’s headquarters on Sept. 11, in memory of those lost in the 9/11 attacks 20 years ago. The Wall of Heroes honors California National Guard soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. The governor released a proclamation declaring Sept. 11 as Patriot Day. “All of us remember where we were on Sept. 11, 2001, when America suffered an unspeakable act of terrorism that took the lives of nearly 3,000 individuals,” Newsom said in a statement. “It’s hard to imagine that 20 years have passed since that tragic day. For the families who lost loved ones, and every American who was shaken by the events of 9/11, two decades seems like yesterday.” Newsom asked every Californian to take a moment to honor those lost on 9/11. “In recognizing this somber anniversary, let us honor the lives of the fallen by doing our part to look after one another and remember that we are all Americans working to create a more inclusive and better future for generations to come,” Newsom added. The governor ordered flags on all state buildings to be flown at half-staff in honor of the individuals who lost their lives on 9/11. U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) also honored 9/11 victims with a Facebook post. “On the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we remember and pay tribute to the thousands of lives lost,” Carbajal wrote. “Each and every day, I am grateful for the heroic first responders and members of the community who sacrificed themselves to save others.”
• On Sept. 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration announced that Project Homekey, the state’s homeless housing initiative, would release $2.75 billion in funds to invest in expanding the program. The expansion will allow more buildings to be purchased and rehabilitated into permanent, long-term housing for people experiencing homelessness. The investment will bring about up to 14,000 more units. The program allows local governments to apply for competitive grants across the state to convert buildings like hotels, motels, and vacant apartment buildings into housing. “California is moving with unprecedented speed to house people experiencing homelessness, through Homekey,” Newsom said in a statement. “We are going all in on solutions that work—tackling the homelessness crisis head-on with a constructive, compassionate approach and a focus on serving those with the most acute behavioral health needs. This investment will allow us to build on Homekey’s groundbreaking success—creating more housing, faster and with accountability and efficiency.” Since launching in 2020, Homekey has already created 6,000 affordable housing units. The program first started accepting applications from local governments in July 2020, allowing people to get into safe shelter quickly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was the largest single addition of permanent housing in the state’s history, but our work is far from done,” Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez said in the statement. “With the next round of Homekey funding, the state will continue its work with our local partners to protect vulnerable Californians by providing safe spaces they can call their own.”
• Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) announced Sept. 10 that the California Legislature passed AB 525, Cunningham’s offshore wind bill. “If the bill is signed by the governor, California will have a commitment to offshore wind in state law for the first time,” according to a statement from Cunningham’s office. The bill would “require the California Energy Commission to set specific targets for how much power will be generated by offshore wind for 2030 and 2045,” the statement added. “Offshore wind is the future of energy production in California,” Cunningham said in the statement. “It is clean, it is efficient, and—unlike other types of emission-free energy production—it produces power during periods of peak demand. And the Central Coast is uniquely situated to be the hub of this new industry, which will create jobs and increase local tax revenue.”
This article appears in Sep 16-23, 2021.
