California Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf to a state advisory group on homelessness, alongside elected supervisors from Sacramento, Los Angeles and Riverside counties. The 13-seat body will determine best practices for preventing homelessness and shape regional plans for addressing the homelessness crisis seen up and down the state, according to a statement issued by Schaaf’s office Wednesday.
“No one city or person can magically fix the large systemic problems that lead to homelessness. But all cities, and all leaders across California, can work together to develop shared solutions to improve the lives of our most vulnerable residents.”
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf
She comes to the table touting experience with Oakland’s efforts to provide residents at risk of eviction with legal or financial support, community cabin programs and safe overnight parking for RVs. There are a total of seven elected officials in the group as well as six institutional representatives from groups like the Western Center on Law and Poverty Policy and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.