Even if California spends millions more on homelessness, here’s why few will notice
5 years, 7 months ago

Even if California spends millions more on homelessness, here’s why few will notice

LA Times  

Pablo Rivera Gomez walks outside his tent last year. The state’s 11 largest cities received $150 million of that and their mayors — with L.A.’s Mayor Eric Garcetti front and center — were the ones lobbying the Legislature for it. A coalition of big-city mayors issued a report in March that found 53% of the funds had been committed to “capital improvements.” Across the state, cities and counties proposed spending 34% of the $500 million on such projects, including new shelters, according to the California Homeless Coordinating Finance Council, which oversees the program. “We don’t know what that money went for, and that’s really concerning because we’re giving money to jurisdictions and just trusting they’re doing the right thing.” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who chairs Newsom’s task force with Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, said most experts agree that more housing coupled with intensive outreach is the only solution to homelessness. At the time, $30 million was committed from the city’s coffers to his “A Bridge Home” program and L.A. was able to augment that with about $50 million from the state, so far.

Housing Money Cities City Homeless Homelessness State Los Angeles Million Newsom Sacramento Permanent Housing Heap California Los  spends  homelessness  state  notice  cities  california  los  homeless  housing  heres  millions  money  million  city

History of this topic

Nearly half of L.A.’s record homelessness budget went unspent, city controller finds
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Nearly half of L.A.’s record homelessness budget went unspent, city controller finds

LA Times  

Mayor Karen Bass, left, chats with Jawonna Smith before Smith was moved from a tent to a motel under the Inside Safe program. Nearly half of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ record $1.3-billion homelessness budget for fiscal 2023-24 went unspent, an analysis by the city controller found. According to Mejia, the city spent or encumbered only about 30% of its …

Los Angeles’ $22-billion homelessness problem gives leaders a choice: Double down or change strategies
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Los Angeles’ $22-billion homelessness problem gives leaders a choice: Double down or change strategies

LA Times  

City of Los Angeles officials are finally confronting a question that has seemed too big to answer: How much would it actually cost to get every person living on the street today indoors and make sure that no one languished there for years again? “In other ways, it doesn’t seem that eye-popping to me for the scale of the problem.” …

Late payments to nonprofits hamper California’s fight against homelessness
3 months, 1 week ago

Late payments to nonprofits hamper California’s fight against homelessness

Associated Press  

California’s homeless service providers have a problem: They aren’t getting paid on time, and it’s making it even harder for them to get people off the street. “We’re not going to let people become homeless or not get their rent paid,” Wan said. “We must transform the City’s entire approach to payment — going beyond the payments for service providers …

More shelter beds and a crackdown on tents means fewer homeless encampments in San Francisco
3 months, 2 weeks ago

More shelter beds and a crackdown on tents means fewer homeless encampments in San Francisco

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We’re seeing much cleaner sidewalks,” said Terry Asten Bennett, …

California governor signs package of bills giving state more power to enforce housing laws
3 months, 3 weeks ago

California governor signs package of bills giving state more power to enforce housing laws

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California cities will soon face more state scrutiny — and new penalties — for pushing back on housing and homeless shelter construction, according to a package of laws signed Thursday by Gov. Newsom has been cracking down on what he sees as local resistance and defiance of state laws in the face of California’s desperate need for …

The under-the-radar proposal to end homelessness in Los Angeles for $20 billion
3 months, 4 weeks ago

The under-the-radar proposal to end homelessness in Los Angeles for $20 billion

LA Times  

A homeless man waits for transportation to housing as Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program employees along with the Sanitation Bureau clean up homeless encampments along Hollywood Boulevard and Gower Street in Hollywood in August. It would cost $20.4 billion to end homelessness in Los Angeles in a decade, a price tag requiring local, state and federal governments to more …

Proposed L.A. County budget adds mental health workers, homelessness funding
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Proposed L.A. County budget adds mental health workers, homelessness funding

LA Times  

A man walks with his dog along a street on Skid Row in January 2024. Los Angeles County’s proposed budget for next year is about $1.4 billion smaller than the previous year’s but adds more mental health workers and increases funding to address homelessness. County Chief Executive Fesia Davenport said at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting that her budget of …

Letters to the Editor: California doesn’t know if $20 billion spent on homelessness has worked. Who gets fired?
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Letters to the Editor: California doesn’t know if $20 billion spent on homelessness has worked. Who gets fired?

LA Times  

An encampment under the 101 Freeway in Hollywood is cleared on March 7. To the editor: As much an opponent of added bureaucracy as I am, it amazes me that California has not created a new agency whose sole job is to fight homelessness. But The Times reports that the council created to monitor the $20 billion the state has …

California housing crisis so bad once-modest towns have become ‘million-dollar cities’
8 months, 3 weeks ago

California housing crisis so bad once-modest towns have become ‘million-dollar cities’

LA Times  

An aerial view of housing in Tustin on Friday. The city has joined California’s growing list of “million-dollar cities.” When you think of towns with $1-million-plus homes, places such as Beverly Hills, San Marino, Newport Beach and Palos Verdes Estates might come to mind. Tustin has joined California’s long list of “million-dollar cities.” Tor Black, 55, has lived in Tustin …

How effective are California's homelessness programs? State hasn't been tracking
9 months ago

How effective are California's homelessness programs? State hasn't been tracking

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy California spent $24 billion to …

How effective are California’s homelessness programs? Audit finds state hasn’t been keeping track
9 months ago

How effective are California’s homelessness programs? Audit finds state hasn’t been keeping track

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California spent $24 billion to tackle homelessness over the past five years but didn’t consistently track whether the huge outlay of public money actually improved the situation, according to state audit released Tuesday. Despite the roughly billions of dollars spent on more than 30 homeless and housing programs during the 2018-2023 fiscal years, California doesn’t have reliable …

California spent billions on homelessness without tracking if it worked
9 months ago

California spent billions on homelessness without tracking if it worked

LA Times  

California has failed to adequately monitor the outcomes of its vast spending on homelessness programs, according to a state audit released Tuesday, raising questions about whether billions of dollars meant to thwart the crisis has been worth it as the number of people living unsheltered has soared. A new report from the California State Auditor’s Office found that a state …

Opinion: I’ve covered California’s homeless since before the word was used. This is what I learned
9 months ago

Opinion: I’ve covered California’s homeless since before the word was used. This is what I learned

LA Times  

A man removes some of his his belongings from a flooded camp along the Sacramento River. Last year, state Sen. Anna Caballero proposed legislation that would have eased approval of small “starter homes” in areas restricted to single-family housing. As in California, Democrats opposed to the plan used code language: “local control,” “overcrowding,” “traffic.” New York state Assemblyman Phil Ramos …

Opinion: Why is California behind Texas and other states in curbing homelessness?
9 months ago

Opinion: Why is California behind Texas and other states in curbing homelessness?

LA Times  

Rent is surging nationwide. Texas cities also stand out: Last year, the Houston metropolitan area achieved the lowest rate of homelessness of any major U.S. city, with just 52 people per 100,000 residents experiencing homelessness. Meanwhile, five of the top 10 major cities with the highest rates of homelessness nationally are in California: San Francisco, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland …

California voters pass Proposition 1 to tackle the state's homelessness crisis
9 months, 3 weeks ago

California voters pass Proposition 1 to tackle the state's homelessness crisis

NPR  

California voters pass Proposition 1 to tackle the state's homelessness crisis Enlarge this image toggle caption Damian Dovarganes/AP Damian Dovarganes/AP SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California voters have approved a measure that will impose strict requirements on counties to spend on housing and drug treatment programs to tackle the state's homelessness crisis, in a tissue-thin win for Gov. Democrats outnumber Republicans by …

Feds won’t reimburse California $300 million for homeless housing amid COVID. Congress wants answers
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Feds won’t reimburse California $300 million for homeless housing amid COVID. Congress wants answers

LA Times  

Genia Hope moves into a hotel room being used for Project Roomkey in Whittier on July 7, 2020. “This October 2023 policy decision comes long after local governments across our state had already expended significant local resources under Project Roomkey with the full expectation for reimbursement,” the members of Congress wrote. “So it’s quite disturbing and quite frankly not acceptable …

Your guide to the California Senate candidates’ views of housing and homelessness
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Your guide to the California Senate candidates’ views of housing and homelessness

LA Times  

The Burbank representative has backed legislation that has expanded federal funding for housing. He also supported the Ending Homelessness Act of 2023, legislation In the past, Schiff has used a federal grant funding mechanism known as earmarks — or money targeted at specific projects — to get money for nonprofits in his district. Both Schiff and Porter have released housing …

Some worry California proposition to tackle homelessness would worsen the problem
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Some worry California proposition to tackle homelessness would worsen the problem

Associated Press  

OROVILLE, Calif. — Democratic California Gov. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who authored the 2004 millionaire tax, said the funding is meant to serve homeless people with serious mental illnesses and that county officials and providers “miss the big picture.” “While it has funded many good programs over 20 years, it has gotten away from the original purpose,” Steinberg said. A …

Some worry California proposition to tackle homelessness would worsen the problem
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Some worry California proposition to tackle homelessness would worsen the problem

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A recent survey by the University of San Francisco's …

Even the least expensive areas of California are becoming less affordable, and more desirable
1 year, 4 months ago

Even the least expensive areas of California are becoming less affordable, and more desirable

LA Times  

By a recent estimate, the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is among the top 10 most expensive places to live in the U.S. It’s long been a fact of life that California’s coastal cities are among the most expensive places to live in the country. “The alternative to having a small house in Silicon Valley is a bigger house elsewhere.” Although …

See which California counties are the most expensive for renters in the U.S.
1 year, 6 months ago

See which California counties are the most expensive for renters in the U.S.

LA Times  

The “Painted Ladies” Victorian houses line a street in San Francisco, a city in the second most expensive county in California for renters. According to a new federal report, “in no state, metropolitan area, or county in the U.S. can a worker earning the federal or prevailing state or local minimum wage afford a modest two-bedroom rental home at fair …

New study says high housing costs, low income push Californians into homelessness
1 year, 6 months ago

New study says high housing costs, low income push Californians into homelessness

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Homeless people in California are already a vulnerable group, often struggling with poor health, trauma and deep poverty before they lose their housing, according to a new study on adult homelessness. It it not groundbreaking news that the state’s exorbitant housing costs are a major driver behind homelessness, but researchers hope their study will strengthen public support …

California Spent $17 Billion on Homelessness. It’s Not Working.
1 year, 7 months ago

California Spent $17 Billion on Homelessness. It’s Not Working.

Live Mint  

City firefighters arrived midmorning at a homelesscamp on Wood Street to quell a fire spreading across a tinderbox landscape of discarded furniture, debris, abandoned cars and dwellings fashioned from tents, tarps and plywood. It also has among the highest average rent and median home prices in the U.S. State officials said it was the city’s responsibility to house people kicked …

LA mayor wants $1.3B for homeless crisis, hotels for housing
1 year, 8 months ago

LA mayor wants $1.3B for homeless crisis, hotels for housing

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, who was elected in November after promising to take on the city’s out-of-control homeless crisis, announced Monday she would recommend spending what she called a record $1.3 billion next year to get unhoused people into shelter and treatment programs. Bass’ challenge is in plain sight in just about any neighborhood: homeless people living …

Editorial: If California cities want homeless funding, they better stop blocking housing
1 year, 8 months ago

Editorial: If California cities want homeless funding, they better stop blocking housing

LA Times  

The Dolores Huerta apartments, a 40-unit permanent supportive housing complex, along the 5200 block of South Figueroa Street on Oct. 10, 2022, in Los Angeles. Last week, city and county officials from across the state rallied in Sacramento to demand $3 billion in annual state funding to ease homelessness and build affordable housing. The homelessness crisis in California is a …

Oregon lawmakers propose $200M for homelessness, housing
1 year, 10 months ago

Oregon lawmakers propose $200M for homelessness, housing

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — Democratic lawmakers in Oregon have proposed a $200 million spending package to tackle homelessness and housing as the state struggles to build more homes and move a growing number of people off the streets. “Affordable housing has to be our number one goal,” Democratic state Rep. Maxine Dexter said during a news conference on Wednesday. “As a …

Editorial: Yes, it really will take billions of dollars a year to solve homelessness in California
1 year, 11 months ago

Editorial: Yes, it really will take billions of dollars a year to solve homelessness in California

LA Times  

Gavin Newsom has said that addressing homelessness is his top priority. The Corporation for Supportive Housing put out a report last month estimating that the state needed to invest $8.1 billion a year over 12 years to solve homelessness in California. The League of California Cities last month wrote a letter to the governor asking for “a permanent funding stream …

‘A man-made disaster': Oregon’s new governor tackles housing
2 years ago

‘A man-made disaster': Oregon’s new governor tackles housing

Associated Press  

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon’s newly sworn-in Democratic Gov. The first executive order declares a homeless emergency for most of the state; the second directs state agencies to prioritize reducing homelessness; and the third sets a housing construction target of 36,000 units per year, an 80% increase over current production, in a bid to address the state’s housing shortage. Kotek described …

California governor set to release $1B for homelessness
2 years, 1 month ago

California governor set to release $1B for homelessness

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. He stunned the state when he announced two weeks ago that he would withhold $1 billion in spending until cities and counties came up with more robust plans, calling submitted plans “simply unacceptable” as they would collectively reduce the state’s homeless population by just 2% over the next four years. Newsom said he had no …

‘Gimme Shelter’: How parking lots explain California’s housing crisis
2 years, 3 months ago

‘Gimme Shelter’: How parking lots explain California’s housing crisis

LA Times  

The cost of constructing low-income housing in California is the highest in the nation, with some apartment buildings totaling more than $1 million per unit to build. On this episode of “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast,” we talk about a forthcoming state law, Assembly Bill 2097, that eliminates minimum parking requirements for new housing near mass transit. Our …

Endorsement: California has money for homeless housing. Vote yes on Proposition LH so L.A. can use it
2 years, 3 months ago

Endorsement: California has money for homeless housing. Vote yes on Proposition LH so L.A. can use it

LA Times  

Proposition LH on the Nov. 8 Los Angeles ballot shouldn’t be necessary. But because an archaic and racist provision to block public housing remains in the California Constitution, L.A. could miss out on funding available to build homeless and affordable housing without passage of this procedural measure. Without a new authorization from Proposition LH, large swaths of the city — …

LA County homeless numbers up but many more went to shelters
2 years, 4 months ago

LA County homeless numbers up but many more went to shelters

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — The number of homeless residents counted in Los Angeles County increased again but at a much slower pace than in previous years, according to figures released Thursday that show that more people left the streets for shelters. By comparison, the county saw a 25.9% rise in the homeless population between 2018 and 2020, said Kristina Dixon, acting …

Affordable housing in California now routinely tops $1 million per apartment to build
2 years, 6 months ago

Affordable housing in California now routinely tops $1 million per apartment to build

LA Times  

More than half a dozen affordable housing projects in California are costing more than $1 million per apartment to build, a record-breaking sum that makes it harder to house the growing numbers of low-income Californians who need help paying rent, a Times review of state data found. Previously, The Times identified one other — much smaller — proposed affordable housing …

Column: Spending $800,000 for a single unit of homeless housing is a red flag for L.A.
2 years, 10 months ago

Column: Spending $800,000 for a single unit of homeless housing is a red flag for L.A.

LA Times  

Stephen Smith stands in his doorway at Chandler Street Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood in 2021. “It isn’t what Angelenos voted for six years ago,” said former city and county executive Miguel Santana, who cited multiple bureaucratic hurdles and worried that public frustration will make it difficult to win needed support for future investments in housing for homeless people. …

Tax proposed on L.A. property sales over $5 million to fund homeless housing
3 years ago

Tax proposed on L.A. property sales over $5 million to fund homeless housing

LA Times  

In an ambitious effort to address the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, a coalition of housing advocates, labor unions and progressive activist groups plans to file paperwork Thursday for a ballot measure that would increase taxes on real estate transactions in the city to fund permanent housing for homeless people and those at risk of ending up on the street. …

L.A. sets goal of 25,000 new housing units for homeless people
3 years, 5 months ago

L.A. sets goal of 25,000 new housing units for homeless people

LA Times  

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council approved a goal of building 25,000 new housing units for the city’s homeless population. Facing an acute housing crisis and rising public anger over tents in public spaces, the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved an ambitious goal of building 25,000 units of new housing for homeless people by 2025. Housing & …

California will spend a record amount on homelessness. Here’s where it’s going
3 years, 5 months ago

California will spend a record amount on homelessness. Here’s where it’s going

LA Times  

A homeless encampment encroaches on the sidewalk at Wilshire Boulevard and Alvarado Street in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. In a deal reached last month, Newsom and lawmakers agreed to expand last year’s program to convert former hotels into permanent housing with federal coronavirus relief dollars and provide an additional $2 billion over two years to local governments. “We are …

Los Angeles considers stricter limits on homeless camping
3 years, 6 months ago

Los Angeles considers stricter limits on homeless camping

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Los Angeles city leaders are …

Editorial: To solve homelessness, California should declare a right to housing
3 years, 7 months ago

Editorial: To solve homelessness, California should declare a right to housing

LA Times  

It may not be easy to set up, but a right to housing should be essential in Los Angeles. A right to housing won’t completely alleviate the need for temporary shelter for homeless people. In fact, a right to shelter would siphon off money, time and energy all better spent creating and preserving housing for poor people, including homeless individuals. …

California governor proposes $12B to house state’s homeless
3 years, 7 months ago

California governor proposes $12B to house state’s homeless

Associated Press  

SAN DIEGO — Buoyed by a large budget surplus and swimming in federal pandemic recovery money, California Gov. Newsom’s proposal includes $8.75 billion over two years to create an estimated 46,000 housing units, expanding on a program he launched last year to convert motels and other properties into housing. I don’t want to talk about this for a decade,” Newsom …

Editorial: Of course California should share its wealth with residents who need it
3 years, 8 months ago

Editorial: Of course California should share its wealth with residents who need it

LA Times  

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the finances of millions of Californians, leaving many of them teetering on the edge of solvency even as the economy rebounds. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the state government is expecting a whopping $100 billion more in revenues this year than it planned for — $75.7 billion in extra tax revenue and $26 billion …

Opinion: A billion dollars to help homeless people should get them into housing
3 years, 8 months ago

Opinion: A billion dollars to help homeless people should get them into housing

LA Times  

The city of Los Angeles may spend $1 billion trying to make a dent in homelessness next year. Because as we all know, the 8,000 or so units that will eventually get completed with $1.2 billion in HHH bond money will not fill the need for housing for the city’s estimated 41,000 homeless people. The city has also set aside …

$130,000 for an 8-foot-by-8-foot shed? That’s what L.A. is paying in a bid to house the homeless
4 years ago

$130,000 for an 8-foot-by-8-foot shed? That’s what L.A. is paying in a bid to house the homeless

LA Times  

Karen Morea, 62, hugs her dog, Jack-Jack, inside her “tiny home” in a parking lot in Riverside. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the program in March, signaling that the concept of sheltering people in tiny homes, long neglected in Los Angeles, had emerged as a leading strategy in the city’s response to a federal lawsuit alleging it has done too little …

Housing costs for the homeless rose to $531,000 a unit, L.A. controller’s report says
4 years, 4 months ago

Housing costs for the homeless rose to $531,000 a unit, L.A. controller’s report says

LA Times  

A 49-unit project for homeless and disabled veterans under construction in Lake View Terrace has hit a construction cost of $739,000 a unit. Controller Ron Galperin, in a report due Wednesday, also cited two projects whose costs soared to nearly $750,0000 per unit and assailed delays that he said have driven city-funded homeless construction expenses up from initial projections of …

Why does it cost so much to build affordable housing in California? How we got the answer
4 years, 9 months ago

Why does it cost so much to build affordable housing in California? How we got the answer

LA Times  

An affordable housing project that was proposed in San Diego County would cost more than $1 million per apartment to build. The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee provided records for every new affordable housing project that received tax credit funding from 2010 to 2019. Using that data, Times reporters estimated that about 12,000 additional affordable housing units could have been …

Lawsuit seeks to require LA to provide beds for homeless
4 years, 10 months ago

Lawsuit seeks to require LA to provide beds for homeless

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday seeks to force Los Angeles officials to provide thousands of shelter beds in an effort to stem what it described as the unfolding “human tragedy” of people living in squalor on the streets. A 2019 count by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported that there were close to 60,000 homeless people …

California big city mayors chat homelessness with Newsom
4 years, 10 months ago

California big city mayors chat homelessness with Newsom

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The mayors of California’s biggest cities had a “robust” discussion with Gov. He said “spending decisions have been relatively unrestricted and locally driven,” calling for a new approach because: “The results speak for themselves.” This year, instead of dividing the $750 million among the state’s local governments, Newsom wants to divide it based on 10 geographic regions …

What happened to L.A.'s $1 billion for homeless housing?
4 years, 11 months ago

What happened to L.A.'s $1 billion for homeless housing?

LA Times  

After three years of blown deadlines, L.A. opens its first homeless housing project About this story This project was reported and produced by Sandhya Kambhampati, Swetha Kannan, Iris Lee and Andrea Roberson. The Times compiled data from the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department, which oversees Proposition HHH projects. According to HHH rules, the majority of the funds should …

Gov. Gavin Newsom calls for $1.4 billion in new help for homeless
5 years ago

Gov. Gavin Newsom calls for $1.4 billion in new help for homeless

LA Times  

Citing the need to act quickly to get homeless Californians off the streets, Gov. How fast efforts in Los Angeles and other cities receive the money depends on how quickly legislators consider the governor’s plan, though funds allocated during the annual budget process are generally available on July 1. Californians are demanding that all levels of government — federal, state …

$600,000 for homeless housing? Audit suggests spending money on shelters instead
5 years, 3 months ago

$600,000 for homeless housing? Audit suggests spending money on shelters instead

LA Times  

With the costs of building housing on the rise, Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin is recommending that some projects be reevaluated to see if their budgets can be cut to use less of the city’s $1.2-billion homeless housing bond. The audit said the city should evaluate whether it can revise homeless housing projects that have such “outlier” costs and …

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