Assembly speaker names Ramos as chair of special homelessness committee in legislature

Assemblymember James C. Ramos today was named chair of the newly created Select Committee on Homelessness in San Bernardino County by Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon.

“I am excited to continue my longtime efforts to reduce homelessness as leader of this new committee,” Ramos said. “As a county supervisor for San Bernardino, I chaired a similar committee. We worked to find local and creative solutions to reduce homelessness. I also worked to assist homeless youth by working with area schools and co-authored bills, like AB 216, to create regional funding in a streamlined manner for cities and counties to provide homeless resources.”

“Assemblymember James C. Ramos is a knowledgeable and thoughtful leader and the right person to tackle the crisis of homelessness in San Bernardino County,” said Anthony Rendon, Speaker of the Assembly. “As a former county supervisor dealing with the multiple and tangled issues that create and affect this crisis, Assemblymember Ramos has demonstrated his leadership and willingness to collaborate with community members, other stakeholders, and elected officials at both the state and local  level. I look forward to working with him to solve this statewide emergency.”

In December, Ramos joined Gov. Gavin Newsom in announcing $650 million in emergency homeless aid. The funding can be used for local projects such as the Loma Linda Veterans Village which connects homeless veterans to mental health, job and other supportive services.

“We can only resolve California’s homeless crisis through state and local partnerships. Homelessness affects us in our communities, but it is a statewide problem needing a strong network of communication, resources and joint ventures.”

Ramos said he expects the committee to hold information and town hall meetings in committee member districts about issues such as homeless youth, affordable housing, mental and behavioral health assistance including substance abuse disorder treatment, supportive transitional services and other issues affecting homeless individuals. San Bernardino will receive $36 million of the state aid package announced in Loma Linda.

“We want to hear from local communities through meetings and fact-finding tours, and then introduce legislation as appropriate,” Ramos said.

Other select committee members have yet to be selected. The Assembly also has Select Committees on the issue for Los Angeles and Orange County.