Why Does Homelessness Continue to Grow?
Over $15 billion spent to see near-double-digit increases in California homelessness— will other states soon follow?
California’s Governor Newsom just announced that the state had spent over $15.3 billion to combat homelessness in the past year. The results?
California’s January 2023 “Point in Time” count shows over 126,000 homeless people, an increase of 9% over 2022.
As most of the rest of the state — excluding the top 5% of state income earners ($519,000+) know — the true number of homeless people in the state is far greater.
For $15.3 billion, the state could have directly built over 30,000 single- family homes at a cost of $500,000 each. It could have built over 60,000 condos at a cost of $250,000 each. These units could be offered to the homeless at an amount that they can afford on disability, Veteran, or other benefits because they would be bought and paid for. A rent (or mortgage) payment of $500 a month could provide maintenance, insurance, and upkeep.
The units could be built in areas not subject to fires and floods — anyone in the housing industry knows that these amounts would build good housing with quality materials that would last.
