Gov. Gavin Newsom is again threatening to withhold state money to address homelessness from local governments that are failing to make progress in moving people off the street.
In a virtual news conference on Monday, Newsom announced that cities and counties that do not meet certain benchmarks — such as closing more encampments and finalizing plans to build more housing — could lose out on their share of hundreds of millions of dollars in future homelessness grants.
Local governments use the grant money to build homeless housing or shelters, fund street outreach teams and clear encampments, among other efforts…