California Governor Gavin Newsom recently boasted that his state is a “national model” for solving homelessness, but his grand declaration was met with widespread ridicule. Newsom announced a hefty $3.3 billion fund aimed at tackling homelessness, claiming that California saw a decline in veteran homelessness and thus, deserves national recognition as a leader in this area. However, the data paints a starkly different picture.
Despite Newsom’s claims, a 2023 federal report indicates that California is home to 28% of the nation’s homeless population. To make matters worse, those sleeping rough on California streets constitute nearly half of the entire country’s homeless population. Los Angeles alone has an alarming 65,111 homeless people, making it the city with the highest homeless rate in the U.S. Interestingly, while Newsom was busy patting himself on the back, the homelessness rate in Los Angeles actually increased by nine percent from the previous year.
Newsom’s assertion seems even more laughable when compared to other states. For instance, Florida’s unsheltered homeless population is 123,000 fewer than California’s, standing at just about 15,000. This vast disparity underscores the real issue: California is failing its most vulnerable while pretending to lead the charge.
Adding to the irony, Newsom barely managed to pass Proposition 1—a $6.4 billion initiative—by a razor-thin margin. Opponents argued the proposition was overly costly and detrimental to mental health services. The proposition included a bond to build treatment facilities and permanent supportive housing for those battling mental health and addiction challenges. It also proposed changes to the Mental Health Services Act, mandating counties to allocate 30% of revenue from personal incomes over $1 million on housing rather than other crucial services.
Critics were quick to lambast Newsom’s statements on social media. One commentator quipped, “The model: We don’t know what we did or where the money went.” Another sarcastically remarked, “Newsom is right, we are a national model, but in the negative sense. Let the nation see us as a dire warning of how not to handle homelessness.” Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) didn’t mince words, calling Newsom’s comments “the height of delusion.”
In reality, the only model California seems to provide is an example of inefficiency and misplaced priorities. Instead of solving homelessness, the state has become a cautionary tale of how not to handle the crisis. It’s clear that Newsom’s self-congratulatory rhetoric is nothing more than a diversion from the grim reality that his policies have done little to alleviate the problem. If anything, California stands as a stark reminder that throwing money at an issue without effective strategy and accountability is a recipe for disaster.
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