Gavin Newsom aide behind homelessness effort now leading failing high-speed rail project

In a major shakeup that puts California’s beleaguered bullet train firmly under Gavin Newsom’s thumb, the governor has installed two of his closest allies to the High-Speed Rail Authority board.

Jason Elliott, a longtime political adviser and former deputy chief of staff in the Newsom administration, was appointed Friday to the board along with Steve Kawa, who’s also served as an adviser after working as Newsom’s chief of staff during his time as mayor of San Francisco.

The pair will replace outgoing board Chair Tom Richards and Vice Chair Nancy Miller.

Newsom’s appointments come as the high-speed rail project confronts ballooning costs — a new report found the original plan would cost as much as $231 billion to complete, leading the authority to make a number of changes that have raised eyebrows.

Before joining the governor’s office in 2019, Elliott served as chief of staff to former San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, where he worked closely on housing and homelessness issues that later became central to Newsom’s statewide agenda.

As one of Newsom’s top advisers in Sacramento, Elliott helped shape the administration’s homelessness and housing strategy during a period when the crisis became one of California’s defining political issues.

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In a New Yorker profile published earlier this year, Elliott defended Newsom’s approach to homelessness, arguing the administration inherited a decades-old crisis. He described Newsom’s early homelessness policies as “an artifact of its era” while defending the governor’s efforts to expand supportive housing and state intervention.

Elliott also told the magazine that Newsom confided in him that he’d dreamed of being governor since he was young. 

“He campaigned on bringing universal health care to California, having passed it in San Francisco as mayor,” the piece noted.

To date, Newsom has not delivered universal health care to California and his beloved bullet train has been dismissed by critics as equally unlikely to be completed as promised.

Elliot declined comment when reached by The Post, deferring comment to the governor’s office.

In a statement to The Post, the governor’s spokesperson, Anthony Martinez, said that Elliot and Kawa are “trusted advisors and innovative leaders who combined bring over 50 years of experience navigating large-scale projects through demanding political and fiscal landscapes.”

“As the project enters its most visible and complex phase yet — with tracklaying beginning — the governor is committed to making sure leadership is in place to shepherd every dollar and every mile of track with continuous rigor and accountability.”

Costs of the high-speed rail line from Los Angeles to San Francisco were originally described as being between $33 billion and $45 billion, and completion was expected by 2020. 

Current estimates after numerous revisions — some of which still need approval — place the full project cost at roughly $126 billion, nearly triple the projected cost. And there is still no definite plan beyond the first phase, which will allegedly connect Merced to Bakersfield by 2032.

The high-speed rail appointments further cement Newsom’s influence over a project that has become a shining example of inefficiency and a political liability. The governor is expected to launch a presidential campaign after terming out of office early next year.

“I’m actually shocked,” Assemblymember David Tangipa (R-Fresno) told The Post.

“What experience are they bringing to high-speed rail that is necessary or available other than placating the needs of the governor?”

He added, “The most expensive infrastructure project happening in the world right now is being overseen by the closest allies of the governor. That’s just insanity.”

Construction of the high-speed rail line remains underway in the Central Valley, where the state is building an initial 171-mile segment. Newsom has defended the scaled-back approach as the most realistic path forward after years of delays and mismanagement.

Newsom was mocked by Republican legislators and critics of the project in February while posing in front of a freight train.

“He stands in front of a freight train saying ‘it’s coming’ — no, sir, it’s not,” said Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo, who represents parts of the Central Valley. 

“Your privilege train is a money pit and a boondoggle.”