Cities across California will soon have access to millions of dollars in emergency aid to fight homelessness despite what Gov. Gavin Newsom called “bureaucratic roadblocks” by the Trump administration.

On Wednesday, Newsom said cities and counties can begin applying for a piece of the $650 million in emergency homeless aid set aside in the state budget. The announcement comes as welcome news for local leaders tasked with addressing a surging homelessness crisis.

“California is doing more than ever before to tackle the homelessness crisis,” Newsom said in a statement, “but every level of government, including the federal government, must step up and put real skin in the game.”

The governor accused the Trump administration of trying to politicize the issue and preventing the funding from getting to local officials who can put it to use. State law says that funding allocations ultimately must be based off homeless counts approved by the federal government. But Newsom’s office says Trump’s team has been sitting on the data for months.

So instead, California will use preliminary homeless estimates to distribute $500 million and wait for the final numbers to allocate the remainder of the funds.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is in charge of the data, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The nine-county Bay Area will likely get around $145 million, although the final figure could change, said Russ Heimerich with the state’s Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who with other big city mayors in the state has lobbied for such funding, said he expects the city to get about $20 million. The money, he said, will go toward small grants to help families at risk of losing their housing and toward converting a motel into apartments for the formerly homeless.

“Anyone who is knowledgeable about the daunting scale of our homelessness challenge recognizes this is a drop in the bucket,” Liccardo said, “but we critically need every drop.”

The funds, which can be used in a variety of ways, will help groups like the nonprofit Destination: Home serve more people in the region.

“I think the state making this flexible type of money available is so important when it comes to homelessness prevention,” said Jennifer Loving, CEO of Destination: Home, adding that the funds can help nonprofits leverage other public and private money.

A spokeswoman for Oakland said the city is thrilled about the new resources.

“With the anticipated allocation of about $12 million, Oakland will maintain and expand 800+ transitional housing, emergency beds and safe parking spaces we have already created with the state’s first allocation,” Sara Bedford, director of the city’s Department of Human Services, said in an emailed statement. “It will allow continuation of our encampment support services and allow for more robust employment strategies to support housing stability.”

To help the state solve its homelessness problem and push for more federal attention to the issue, Newsom also announced he is bringing on a consultant who has worked on homelessness and housing issues in both the Obama and Trump administrations.

“I have seen first-hand that cities and states acting alone are not going to be able to fund the solutions that are required to meet this challenge,” said the consultant, Matthew Doherty, in a statement. “Much more federal investment is needed to make meaningful progress and solve this crisis.”

Related Articles San Jose AAUW provides gifts for at-risk South Bay teens

Affordable homes, some for the homeless, eyed near San Jose malls

For accurate count, U.S. census workers reach out to Bay Area homeless residents

Letters: Why blame Newsom? | Success story | Champion of ethics | Contradicted column | Legacy of failure | Reflecting us all

San Jose begins cleaning up massive piles of illegal dumping on Monterey Road As housing prices have soared and people flee California for more affordable homes out of the state, Newsom has called on the Trump administration to issue more housing vouchers, especially for veterans. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the state had around 130,000 homeless residents as of January 2018 — close to a quarter of the national total.

“California is making historic investments now to help our communities fight homelessness,” Newsom said. “But we have work to do and we need the federal government to do its part.”

“People are suffering,” Loving said. “Way too many vulnerable people are depending on us.”