A potential shift in California’s homelessness strategy?

When Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill last month that would have supported sober homeless housing, his reason left many scratching their heads.

Newsom said Assembly Bill 255 , which would have allowed cities to use up to 10% of their state funds to pay for “recovery housing,” was unnecessary. That’s because using state funds for sober housing is already allowed, the governor said . He said “recent guidance” makes that clear.

That was a big surprise to Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), who had spent the last two years working on the bill Newsom was now saying had been moot all along. Haney had been under the impression that California’s “ housing first ” rule — which dictates that homelessness programs offer housing to people regardless of their sobriety, mental health,