California Homelessness Crisis: $600 Million Federal Funding Announced to Address the Issue

The homelessness crisis in California has been a pressing issue for several years, with the number of homeless individuals continuing to rise despite significant investments from the state and federal governments. In an attempt to alleviate the problem, California Democratic senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler announced over $600 million in federal funds to support organizations, housing authorities, and local governments in their efforts to reduce homelessness.

Padilla stated, “As we continue our statewide count of people experiencing homelessness, one thing remains clear: We need significantly more federal investment to address this humanitarian crisis.” Butler added that the funds would be especially important for youth experiencing homelessness, including unaccompanied and pregnant or parenting youth.

This funding is part of a larger $3.16 billion investment from the Biden administration to support communities across the United States in their efforts to address homelessness. Despite the influx of funds, the homeless population in California has continued to increase, with about 181,000 people considered homeless in the state’s 2023 count. The majority of these individuals are suffering from drug addiction or mental illnesses.

Chris Moore, a candidate for Alameda County supervisor and a board member with Bay Rental Housing Association, believes that the earmarked money is a good start but that the state isn’t using best practices. Moore suggested looking at what’s being done in Houston, where the homeless population has been reduced by 64% over the last 12 years and 17% last year through collaboration between various organizations, despite minimal financial investment. Texas has spent significantly less money on homelessness compared to California – $806 versus $10,786 per homeless person.

California has adopted controversial practices to tackle its growing homelessness problem, including the “housing first” solution and the “harm reduction” model. The housing first solution is the belief that homelessness is solved through first putting people in apartments, motels, hotels, or “tiny homes,” rather than mandating rehabilitation for drug addiction or mental health treatment. Some argue that this strategy doesn’t work, as most government-run housing programs don’t require “wraparound” services, a holistic care model that includes drug rehabilitation and mental health treatment.

Instead, the harm reduction model has been adopted by the state’s Department of Health, which focuses on reducing the consequences of drug use through offering clean syringes, naxolone, and other materials to make drug use “safer.” However, critics argue that this approach only enables the problem and doesn’t address the root cause of homelessness.

Rev. Andy Bales, the former CEO of Union Rescue Mission, one of Los Angeles’ largest faith-based nonprofit organizations that does not rely on government funding, believes that the housing first and harm reduction policies have been an utter failure. He stated, “California alone represents 50% of all street homelessness because they have doubled down on the policy of housing first and harm reduction, and so if it continues to be spent, like it has been, we won’t see much positivity or improvement because it’s a failed policy.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has faced pressure from voters to curtail the issue at its root. In March, residents will vote on Newsom’s proposed $6.4 billion bond aimed at adding approximately 25,000 psychiatric and addiction treatment beds across California, a move aimed to be a “course corrective” action from when California dumped thousands of people from psychiatric centers onto the streets.

Newsom acknowledged the mistakes made in the past, stating, “There was a righteousness in the 60s, with Democrats and Republicans saying, ‘We have to move away from these locked institutions,’ We were supposed to replicate that with community-based care, and there was no accountability – there was no obligation either way.”

Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics and leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.

California Homelessness Crisis: $600 Million Federal Funding Announced to Address the Issue

The homelessness crisis in California has been a pressing issue for several years, with the number of homeless individuals continuing to rise despite significant investments from the state and federal governments. In an attempt to alleviate the problem, California Democratic senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler announced over $600 million in federal funds to support organizations, housing authorities, and local governments in their efforts to reduce homelessness.

Padilla stated, “As we continue our statewide count of people experiencing homelessness, one thing remains clear: We need significantly more federal investment to address this humanitarian crisis.” Butler added that the funds would be especially important for youth experiencing homelessness, including unaccompanied and pregnant or parenting youth.

This funding is part of a larger $3.16 billion investment from the Biden administration to support communities across the United States in their efforts to address homelessness. Despite the influx of funds, the homeless population in California has continued to increase, with about 181,000 people considered homeless in the state’s 2023 count. The majority of these individuals are suffering from drug addiction or mental illnesses.

Chris Moore, a candidate for Alameda County supervisor and a board member with Bay Rental Housing Association, believes that the earmarked money is a good start but that the state isn’t using best practices. Moore suggested looking at what’s being done in Houston, where the homeless population has been reduced by 64% over the last 12 years and 17% last year through collaboration between various organizations, despite minimal financial investment. Texas has spent significantly less money on homelessness compared to California – $806 versus $10,786 per homeless person.

California has adopted controversial practices to tackle its growing homelessness problem, including the “housing first” solution and the “harm reduction” model. The housing first solution is the belief that homelessness is solved through first putting people in apartments, motels, hotels, or “tiny homes,” rather than mandating rehabilitation for drug addiction or mental health treatment. Some argue that this strategy doesn’t work, as most government-run housing programs don’t require “wraparound” services, a holistic care model that includes drug rehabilitation and mental health treatment.

Instead, the harm reduction model has been adopted by the state’s Department of Health, which focuses on reducing the consequences of drug use through offering clean syringes, naxolone, and other materials to make drug use “safer.” However, critics argue that this approach only enables the problem and doesn’t address the root cause of homelessness.

Rev. Andy Bales, the former CEO of Union Rescue Mission, one of Los Angeles’ largest faith-based nonprofit organizations that does not rely on government funding, believes that the housing first and harm reduction policies have been an utter failure. He stated, “California alone represents 50% of all street homelessness because they have doubled down on the policy of housing first and harm reduction, and so if it continues to be spent, like it has been, we won’t see much positivity or improvement because it’s a failed policy.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has faced pressure from voters to curtail the issue at its root. In March, residents will vote on Newsom’s proposed $6.4 billion bond aimed at adding approximately 25,000 psychiatric and addiction treatment beds across California, a move aimed to be a “course corrective” action from when California dumped thousands of people from psychiatric centers onto the streets.

Newsom acknowledged the mistakes made in the past, stating, “There was a righteousness in the 60s, with Democrats and Republicans saying, ‘We have to move away from these locked institutions,’ We were supposed to replicate that with community-based care, and there was no accountability – there was no obligation either way.”

Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics and leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.