California counties wind down homeless program

State pushes to move homeless from hotels to permanent housing

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Some California counties are pushing ahead with plans to end a program that housed the homeless in hotel rooms during the coronavirus pandemic.

The move comes in spite of a recent emergency cash infusion from the state. It aimed to prevent people from returning to the streets as temperatures drop and COVID cases rise.

Some counties say as federal coronavirus funding expires, it's time to transition the homeless from the costly hotel rooms to more stable, inexpensive housing. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced $62 million for just that purpose.

In San Francisco, advocates have expressed outrage over plans to start moving people during the holidays.