California Programs Offering Community-Based Mental Health Care for Homeless Black Residents Face Funding Losses
Why It Matters
In California, a network of community-centered mental health programs specifically designed to serve Black residents experiencing homelessness is at risk of losing critical funding. These programs have reached thousands of residents who had never previously accessed mental health services, raising concerns about what happens to those populations if the funding disappears.
The stakes are significant: Black Californians make up just 7% of the state’s general population but account for 26% of Californians experiencing homelessness, according to data cited by contributors to the California policy outlet CalMatters.
What Happened
A commentary published by CalMatters, written by Amaya Noguera, a program officer at Sierra Health Foundation, and Pedro Noguera, dean of the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, highlights the funding pressures now threatening community-based mental health programs serving unhoused Black Californians.
The authors draw on personal experience — their son and brother has lived with schizophrenia since age 21 — to illustrate both the human cost of mental illness and the systemic failures that leave many without shelter or care. They argue that traditional mental health infrastructure has repeatedly failed to reach the communities most in need, and that community-centered models represent a critical bridge to clinical services.
The commentary identifies several programs currently operating across the state that use culturally responsive approaches. These programs treat housing, food, safety, and mental health as interconnected needs rather than isolated problems — and they rely on community members who reflect the populations they serve.
By the Numbers
The data cited in the commentary underscores both the scale of the problem and the reach of existing programs:
- 26% — the share of California’s homeless population that is Black, despite Black residents comprising only 7% of the state’s general population
- 13,000+ — services delivered by Sacramento’s Community Responsive Wellness Program between 2024 and 2025
- 2,700+ — individual residents served by that same Sacramento program during the same period
- 9% — the share of program participants who self-reported being unhoused, though the authors note the actual figure is likely significantly higher
Programs on the Ground
Three programs are identified in the commentary as examples of the community-based model in action. In Oakland, the Peer Wellness Collective trains and employs community members as certified Medi-Cal peer support specialists to assist individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges.
In Los Angeles, the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective connects individuals and families with culturally responsive therapists through a free online directory, and provides financial assistance to Black or marginalized families navigating mental illness.
In Sacramento, the Community Responsive Wellness Program — funded by Sacramento County’s Department of Behavioral Health Services and administered by The Center at Sierra Health Foundation alongside local organizations — delivered more than 13,000 services to over 2,700 residents in a single year. Many of those served had never previously accessed mental health care.
Zoom Out
The funding pressures facing these California programs reflect a broader national tension over how mental health services are delivered and who bears the cost. Across the country, debates continue over whether community-based models or more traditional clinical approaches are better suited to address the intersection of homelessness and mental illness.
In California, the issue intersects with ongoing disputes over involuntary care policies. Plans to address gaps in Governor Newsom’s mental health court framework have reopened deep divisions over the use of involuntary treatment, complicating the broader policy landscape for mental health funding in the state. As the 2026 gubernatorial cycle heats up, candidates are already staking out positions on homelessness and mental health policy in the wake of shifting political alignments in Sacramento.
What’s Next
The authors of the commentary call on policymakers to protect and expand funding for community-based mental health programs, arguing that cuts would disproportionately harm Black Californians who are already underserved by traditional health infrastructure.
Whether state or county officials will act to preserve these programs remains to be seen. Budget decisions at both the state and county levels in the coming months will determine whether programs like the Community Responsive Wellness Program can continue delivering services to the thousands of Californians currently depending on them.