Governor Gavin Newsom announced new accountability measures for California’s CARE Court and awarded $291 million to expand supportive housing and behavioral health services, following a 9% decline in unsheltered homelessness—California’s first statewide drop in more than 15 years. The actions designate ten counties as “CARE Champions” for successful implementation and identify ten underperforming counties for targeted state support.
CARE Court Expansion and Results
The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act is California’s first-in-the-nation approach to empower individuals suffering from untreated or undertreated schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders to obtain treatment and housing. CARE Court programs began in eight counties in 2023 and were fully implemented in all 58 counties by December 2024. Since full implementation, more than 3,800 petitions have been submitted to courts, with counties reporting more than 4,000 CARE diversions—cases where individuals considered for CARE have been reached and connected to services without engaging the court. More than 1,851 people have continued through the CARE Court process. The process is overseen by a civil court judge but is not punitive; instead it is “structured for the participant’s success,” connecting individuals with a team of providers and support to ensure those needing voluntary treatment do not navigate the system alone.
Recognition and Accountability Framework
The state designated ten counties as “CARE Champions” based on the highest rates of petitions on a per capita basis during 2025, the first full year with all 58 counties required to participate. These counties include Humboldt, Tuolumne, Marin, Napa, Merced, Sutter, Alameda, Santa Barbara, San Mateo, and Imperial. In contrast, ten underperforming counties—including Santa Clara, San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles, Kern, Riverside, Yolo, Monterey, Fresno, and San Francisco counties—are receiving targeted technical support through the state’s CARE Improvement and Coordination Unit. The Governor emphasized: “Care and accountability go hand in hand. Through CARE Court, we have seen inspirational stories of recovery and resilience, but many counties continue to lag behind their peers.”
Housing and Service Expansion Funding
Governor Newsom announced $131.8 million in Homekey+ awards for eight affordable housing communities to create 443 additional homes with on-site managers for Californians experiencing or at risk of homelessness and living with behavioral health challenges. The projects are located in Stockton, Santa Fe Springs, and the counties of Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Tehama, and Yuba. Additionally, $159 million in Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Round 6 funding was awarded to 20 regions, building on $419 million awarded earlier in the year to Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. Proposition 1, approved by voters in 2024, provides a $6.4 billion Behavioral Health Bond estimated to create 6,800 residential treatment beds and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots for behavioral health when fully awarded.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/03/02/governor-newsom-announces-new-care-court-accountability-measures-to-get-more-chronically-mentally-ill-off-our-streets-awards-291-million-in-funding-for-services-and-housing/