Governor Newsom swears in Tomiquia Moss as Secretary of new California Housing and Homelessness Agency

Sacramento, CA

Building on the administration's efforts, which are reversing decades of inaction on housing and homelessness, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the appointment of Tomiquia Moss, who will lead the California Housing and Homelessness Agency - which was established by Governor Newsom last year. The announcement comes after the Governor signed into law housing finance reforms as part of the 2026-2027 State Budget and a historic Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026 to help fund housing construction, preserve affordable housing, expand homeownership opportunities through assistance for veterans and middle- and lower-income households, and increase the supply of affordable rental housing as well as interim and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness.

"I'm proud to appoint Tomiquia Moss to lead the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Tomiquia is a proven leader who understands that housing is foundational to opportunity, dignity, and economic security. We created this agency because California needed a single, coordinated strategy to confront homelessness, expand housing, and protect the rights of every Californian. Thanks to historic investments and an all-hands-on-deck approach, we've made real progress - but we're not letting up. Tomiquia has the experience, the grit, and the vision to build on that momentum and drive the next phase of this work," said Governor Newsom.

"I'm honored to lead the California Housing and Homelessness Agency and to advance the Governor's vision for a more coordinated and accountable housing system," said California Housing and Homelessness Agency Secretary Tomiquia Moss. "As we expand opportunity, I'm committed to protecting the civil rights of every Californian while accelerating housing production and strengthening our homelessness response. I look forward to working with the Governor, the Legislature, and local partners to deliver stability, fairness, and dignity across our communities."

Since 2019, the Newsom administration has created unprecedented policy and structural changes in state government to help California better address its housing and homelessness crises, including additional and historic support for local governments, stronger accountability and enforcement, transformational changes to mental health services, and groundbreaking reforms - including groundbreaking legislative reforms signed last year, including updates to CEQA. These changes have helped connect hundreds of thousands of people at risk of or experiencing homelessness with vital supports.

In her previous role as Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, Secretary Moss oversaw 12 entities and over 40 boards and bureaus and played an integral role in creating and advancing the administration's strategies, leading to historic accomplishments.

The Secretary has led major improvements to California's housing delivery and finance systems, driving the construction of hundreds of thousands of homes, expanding affordable housing opportunities, and scaling innovative programs like Homekey that have created new housing units and connected large numbers of Californians to stability.

Reversing decades of inaction

This work has created immediate, measurable results and the critical foundation necessary to finally solve California's housing and homelessness crisis. Governor Newsom's policies have had a significant impact:

• Historic drops in homelessness - The largest statewide reduction in unsheltered homelessness in 16 years with a 9% reduction in unsheltered homelessness across 30 continuums of care that reported updates in 2025. New federal data also shows California last year saw:
  • Largest reduction in unsheltered homelessness in the nation. California reduced unsheltered homelessness by 8,391 people, or 6.8% - more than any other state. That decline is more than twice the national reduction of 2.9% and significantly exceeds the next largest state, Texas, with a 1.4% decrease.
  • Total homelessness declined. California's overall homeless population dropped by 2.8%, marking the largest statewide decline since 2009.
  • Leading the nation in reducing homelessness in key populations. From 2023 to 2025, California ranked first among all states and the District of Columbia in reducing veteran homelessness, chronic homelessness, homelessness among young adults ages 18-24, and homelessness among parents under 25.

In addition, Governor Newsom is addressing a housing shortage decades in the making. Since 2019:

• Building is happening faster - Annual residential construction has increased by 59%, from 70,000 homes built in 2018 to about 111,000 in 2024.
• Multifamily construction has reached its highest level in decades - Over the last five years, more multifamily housing units have been built than in any five-year period in over 30 years, and more than 682,000 homes overall have been built statewide since 2019.
• Approval times have been slashed - Streamlining laws enacted since 2019 have cut average time from development application to entitlement by 57%, from 160 days to 68 days in 2024. The time from entitlement to permit also dropped by 9%.
• Communities are ready to build more - Through Governor Newsom's work to ensure all jurisdictions do their part, communities throughout the state have laid the groundwork and have planned to accommodate at least 3.6 million new homes, including 1.4 million affordable units, moving California closer to meeting its long-term housing needs.

A structural shift for long-term solutions

The 2026-27 State Budget funds the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, ensuring that California remains focused on long-term, scalable solutions that serve current and future generations. The California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) will concentrate on coordinating efforts across government to tackle housing and homelessness challenges, as well as protecting Californians' civil rights. In this all-of-government approach, CHHA will utilize resources and expertise within government to address these important issues. It includes the following departments:

• The Housing Development and Finance Committee (HDFC)
• Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)
• California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH)
• California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) • Civil Rights Department (CRD)