Hilton pledges homeless recovery centers on military bases

Steve Hilton told California voters on Wednesday that it is acceptable to support a Republican for governor.

The candidate argued that many Democrats hesitate to switch parties because of local political norms, but he urged them to prioritize change.

"People come up to me and they say I'm a lifelong democrat, but this year I'm voting for you," Hilton said. "But I'm not telling anyone because, you know, this is California and you're not supposed to vote for a republican, but we desperately need change and so I'm voting for you."

Hilton outlined a specific plan to address homelessness by constructing recovery centers across the state. These facilities would provide mental health care, addiction treatment, and job training. He proposed building the first center on a military base outside San Diego.

When asked by ABC7 political reporter Josh Haskell how the program would be funded and built within one year, Hilton pointed to state spending data. The state auditor previously found $24 billion spent on homelessness that could not be tracked. Hilton stated he would use those existing funds properly.

"I'm going to ask the mayors of these cities and say, look, you tell me what you need for the first few months of my term," Hilton said. "See if you can get it done. While that's happening, we'll put these homeless recovery centers in place up and down the state. We may need up to 30 of them. We've got to address this as the crisis that it is."

Hilton said residents would eventually move into permanent housing or be reunited with families in other states. He also promised to guarantee $3 gas by removing hidden taxes currently used to fund high-speed rail and the carbon fuel standard. In a PPIC poll released Tuesday, Democratic opponent Xavier Becerra leads Hilton by 24 points.