The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors pledged $1 million to keep firearms out of the hands of people prohibited from owning them.
Such is the case for those convicted of a felony or subject to a restraining order for domestic or workplace violence.
The announcement, which was made on Tuesday, also details that the Board committed $4 million to end homelessness by the end of the year.
The funds will subsidize rent and provide on-site services to ensure that low-income individuals and families can remain in their homes, the county noted.
Funding for both efforts comes from Measure K, a voter-approved half-cent sales tax that seeks to provide funds for local needs.
As for the concern about keeping firearms out of the hands of people who are prohibited from owning them has increased following the recent mass shootings in Sacramento and San Jose.
At a forum on gun violence prevention, organized by board chair Don Horsley and vice chair Dave Pine in partnership with the Giffords Law Center, and attended by Rob Bonta, state attorney general, the discourse focused on keeping firearms out of the hands of people subject to domestic violence and other restraining orders or convicted felons, as well as those pending trial for felonies.
"This is a reasonable and well-supported safety issue, and I am grateful to my fellow Board members for supporting its funding through Measure K money," Horsley said.
"The presence of the California attorney general was extremely helpful in boosting the profile of the county's efforts, resulting in the funding and implementation of carefully thought out remedies ... for the difficult problems presented by the use of prohibited weapons," he added.
Pine said that when someone is convicted of a felony or subject to certain restraining orders, there are a number of policies and laws that allow law enforcement to ensure that owners surrender their firearms.
It should be noted that California has laws that provide state and local authorities with the legal means to remove firearms from persons who have lost the ability to legally possess them due to violent crimes, serious mental illness, active restraining orders, and other causes.
"This funding approved by the Board will help our local law enforcement officers make it through what can be a long and dangerous mission to get guns out of the hands of these individuals," explained Mike Callagy, county administrator.
The Board's 5-0 vote for both funding initiatives came during budget approval of the FY 2022-23 Measure K funds.
Moreover, the $4 million for rental subsidies and supportive services will help ensure that the neediest individuals and families can continue to live in affordable housing with the support they need.
"I am proud that our Board has continued financial assistance for housing vouchers, which makes it possible for San Mateo County to continue its good work to help some of the most vulnerable residents," Horsley said.
The rental subsidy program using local funds will be based on current state and federal programs that provide the difference between monthly rent and 30 percent of a household's monthly income.
The $3 million is expected to provide a local rental subsidy for 100 housing units - at a cost of $2,500 per month for 100 units - for one year, while $1 million will go toward case management and other services.
The county has set a goal of achieving "zero functional homelessness" by the end of the year.
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