Homelessness

Hanging over the heads of California’s newly sworn-in state lawmakers — and likely to be top of mind when they return to Sacramento next month — are the state’s intertwined housing and homelessness crises. That was made clear Tuesday, when Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco introduced for the third time a bill […]

Gov. Gavin Newsom left California on Sunday to travel with his family for the Thanksgiving holiday, but due to security concerns, the trip location won’t be revealed until after he returns next weekend, according to his office. The California Highway Patrol, which handles the governor’s security, made the safety determination, according to Newsom’s office. The […]

In the new episode of "Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast," CalMatters' Manuela Tobias and the Los Angeles Times' Liam Dillon break down how California’s housing shortage drives some college students into homelessness.

As voters cast ballots in the last few days leading up to California’s Nov. 8 election, who will they blame for the state’s persistent housing and homelessness crises? Gov. Gavin Newsom’s surprise Thursday announcement — that he’s withholding $1 billion in state homelessness funding until local governments and service providers come up with more ambitious […]

Service providers who support California's homeless population experience high turnover, making it harder to maintain relationships that may convince someone to accept services or shelter.

California Republicans are zeroing in on the three issues on which they say Democrats may be most vulnerable heading into the Nov. 8 election: The rising cost of living, crime and homelessness. On Tuesday, 26 of the 28 current Republican lawmakers asked the Democratic leaders of the state Assembly and Senate to “immediately” reconvene the […]

“It’s hard for any legislator to admit that a policy they championed, and put a lot of money behind, is going to make things worse.” That comment, from San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo, came during a Saturday panel on child care at Politifest, an annual series of debates and discussions hosted by the nonprofit […]

The latest point-in-time count of California’s homeless population shows that it increased at roughly the same pace as previous years, although it appears to have disproportionately affected Latinos. Experts say homelessness interventions are paying off but “the inflow is killing us.”

It’s the white whale of California politicians and policymakers, the problem that only seems to intensify no matter how much attention and money are devoted to it: homelessness. About six in 10 Californians said the homeless population has grown in their community over the past year, according to a recent Public Policy Institute of California […]

Jail should not punish people just for using drugs; lengthy incarceration won’t help. Rather, we must use the criminal justice system strategically to promote behavioral change in people whose drug use threatens public safety.