Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva Reflects on May Revise Booming Budget Proposal

Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva Reflects on May Revise Booming Budget Proposal

SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D – Orange County) strongly supports Governor Newsom’s commitment to addressing our critical initiatives such as, pandemic immediate relief, housing and homelessness, transforming public education, developing jobs, supporting infrastructure, as well as addressing our environmental challenges.  This is a historic and generational budget that will address a diverse range of issues facing Californians.   

“I have strongly advocated for legislation that focuses on affordable housing and our growing homelessness crisis in our state by addressing underlining issues such as rebuilding our mental and behavioral health system,” said Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva. “As we have seen this past year, there is a need to invest in our community and find practical solutions to help our most vulnerable community members.  With many of our residents struggling with the concerns of EDD payments, evictions, and job loss, our May Revise will work towards resolving these concerns by having $12.6 billion to help those affected by the major housing issues.” 

These are a few of the highlights from the Governor Newsom’s May Budget Revise:

• $12 billion plan to tackle the issue of homelessness will be the largest investment of its kind in California history. This investment will provide 65,000 people with housing placements, more than 300,000 people with housing stability and create 46,000 new housing units. With a focus of $3.5 billion to address family homelessness with the goal of ending it within five years.

• $95 million to jumpstart California’s tourism industry, one of the largest economic drivers in the state that was particularly impacted by the pandemic.

• $100 million for our California Arts Council, with $60 million allocated to our artists corps and $40 million allocated to support our youth arts programs.

• A major expansion of the Golden State Stimulus, providing additional direct payments to middle-class families that make up to $75,000. Under the plan, two-thirds of Californians will benefit from $600 direct payments. Qualified families with dependents, including undocumented families, will also now be eligible for an additional $500.

“As this pandemic has taught us, many of our underserved communities have been negatively and disproportionally affected by the pandemic, racial injustice, and inequality in regards to resources and assistance,” said Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature to approve a practical and supportive budget that will benefit the lives of all Californians.”

The Assembly will pursue opportunities to improve on the Governor’s budget revise plan, to grow opportunity and make more investments in childcare and in making college more affordable and accessible for California residents.  Furthermore, the Legislature will address the interests in streamlining public benefit programs in health and social services. With the increased concern in public health and homelessness prevention programs, the California budget is establishing strategic funding that will tackle our housing and mental health concerns. The budget will also allow many of our nonprofits and community programs to utilize one-time funding to invest in the uplifting and serving of many of our lower-income communities.  The state is obligated to pass the budget by June 15. If you would like more details on the Governor’s May Budget Revise, please visit: http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/