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Gov. Abbott responds to Mayor Adler's call for more funding for homeless
Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted to Mayor Steve Adler saying "Give me one day to cut the outrageous spending of taxpayer money and devote it to homeless issues."
AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott says he can solve Austin Mayor Steve Adler's homeless funding issue in one single day.
Abbott tweeted to Adler Thursday morning, saying "Give me one day to cut the outrageous spending of taxpayer money and devote it to homeless issues. I'll also cut property taxes and slash regulations to make housing more affordable."
Abbott's tweet comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed asking lawmakers for $1.4 billion to solve homeless issues.
RELATED: Austin Mayor Steve Adler looks to Gov. Abbott to provide funding to aid homelessness in Texas
Adler noticed that and says Austin could also use help from the state.
"I have to admit I'm a little envious of the attention the governor of California is giving to the challenge of homelessness," Adler said. "The challenge is much greater then ours is in Austin and one of the reasons why as a council we said we are going to make this a top priority now is so that we don't end up in a place that California is in."
The 2019 Point in Time Count found there were more than 2200 homeless people in Austin. The city budgeted more than $63 million this fiscal year to tackle the homeless crisis.
Right now the state has provided about $700,000, which does not include the funding Texas provides directly to homeless services in Austin.