homelessness

A police officer stands near tents at a makeshift encampment on a dirt lot, with a utility vehicle and a pickup truck parked nearby. A dog walks in the foreground while another dog stands near the officer. Trees line the background under a clear sky.

Commentary

Cities that ban or criminalize homeless services worsen California’s crisis

A bill on the governor’s desk would stop cities from chasing away supportive services and workers who help unhoused people survive the streets.

By Jed Leano • October 1, 2025

A person holds up a blue jacket while sorting through a pile of clothes in front of them that was left behind by other people experiencing homelessness at a park.

Homelessness

Homelessness is dropping in California counties. But funding cuts could derail that progress

Experts worry liberal California will be blacklisted from federal homelessness dollars, effectively counteracting recent progress.

By

Marisa Kendall

• September 24, 2025

Sunlight illuminates a portion of a street as a person, holding multiple bags, walks with two pitbull dogs standing behind them. A brick wall filled with graffiti and a brown truck can be seen nearby.

Commentary

California’s sky-high living costs afford it the nation’s highest poverty label — again

California ties Louisiana for the highest share of poor people. Lawmakers say they just passed bills that will lower housing, electricity and gasoline costs.

By

Dan Walters

• September 16, 2025

California Gov. Gavin Newsom looks forward with a serious expression during a rally. People stand behind him holding blue and white signs that read “Defend Democracy” and “Election Bigotry Response Act.

Homelessness

A California city tried to ban homeless shelters. It’s giving up after Newsom’s lawsuit

Norwalk backed down from its ban on homeless shelters after Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Southern California city. A Los Angeles judge must approve the settlement.

By

Marisa Kendall

• September 5, 2025

Mental Health

6 things to know about how Gov. Newsom’s CARE Court is working so far

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s CARE Court was supposed to help the sickest people living on California’s streets. We took a look at data from around the state. Here’s what we found.

By

Marisa Kendall

,

Jocelyn Wiener

and

Erica Yee

• September 3, 2025

A worker in a reflective vest loads a dusty RV, marked with an orange X, onto a AAA tow truck during the Columbus Park sweep.

Homelessness

New enforcement targets people living in cars, RVs on California streets

Some cities are ramping up efforts to ticket and tow vehicles that shelter homeless Californians.

By

Marisa Kendall

• September 2, 2025

Mental Health

Newsom promised real progress on mental health with CARE Court. Here’s what the numbers show

In the most-comprehensive look yet at whether people are using Gov. Gavin Newsom's CARE Court, we found that far fewer Californians are enrolled in the mental health program than he projected.

By

Marisa Kendall

,

Jocelyn Wiener

and

Erica Yee

• September 2, 2025

A worker in a white protective suit and neon safety vest bends over to collect belongings at a street encampment. Cardboard pieces and a yellow tent are visible beside the railing, with city trucks and police nearby.

Homelessness

Gov. Newsom launches new task force to clear California homeless encampments

The task force, made up of six different state agencies, is the latest effort by the Newsom administration to remove homeless encampments from California’s streets.

By

Marisa Kendall

• August 29, 2025

A tattooed person in a trucker hat and red bandana covering their face plays guitar on a city street, while another person in a plaid shirt and jeans walks past. Behind them, tents, tarps, and piles of belongings line the sidewalk near a fenced industrial building.

Homelessness

California cities lack unified response on homeless encampments

When it comes to clearing homeless encampments, California cities are governed by a patchwork of very different policies.

By

Marisa Kendall

• August 21, 2025

Two people stand and lean next to an RV parked on the side of a busy city street on a sunny afternoon. The RV is parked alongside a row of other RVs and cars, next to the sidewalk of a park, with people walking along the path in the distance.

Commentary

Ramping up RV enforcement only makes it harder to house California’s homeless

California lawmakers should choose compassion and reject a bill that would make it easier to tow RVs, which are often the last refuge for homeless people, a formerly unhoused man argues.

By Sean Geary • August 11, 2025