Readers React: Don’t raid Prop. 63 mental health funds to build housing for the homeless

To the editor: As The Times indicates, the $2-billion bond issue to fund housing for California’s mentally ill homeless “could mean less money for other mental health services.” (“Gov. Jerry Brown backs $2-billion plan to ease homelessness across California,” May 13)

Funding from Proposition 63, the voter-approved 2004 Mental Health Services Act, should be spent as intended for treatment and support for persons with serious mental illness. It is not an opportunity to re-characterize specified funding to cure even the most important societal issues of our time, like homelessness. This funding was specified to serve only people with serious mental illness.

Sacramento leaders are proposing to cast a wide net and hope that some people with mental illness fall into it. Why is there no public discourse on this shifting of priorities? I can think of many deserving uses for these dollars that are targeted directly at the vulnerable people this funding was meant to assist.

Let’s find a source of dollars to alleviate the homelessness crisis, but not by stealing funds from the mental health system.

Mark Gale, West Hills

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