Entries by Christopher Calton
To Reduce Homelessness, Donald Trump Must End Housing First
Homelessness in the United States has grown by nearly 19 percent since its low point in 2016. In 2023, the unhoused population reached its highest levels since we began tracking homelessness, but with the new year and new administration come opportunities to reverse this troubling trend. To do so, President-elect Donald Trump must reverse Obama’s […]
Governor Gavin Newsom Wants You to Think Homelessness in California Is Improving. Do Not Be Fooled.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its Annual Homelessness Assessment Report for 2024. The report showed that California homelessness grew by only 3 percent between 2023 and 2024, while total US homelessness increased by a shocking 18 percent. California Governor Gavin Newsom was quick to pat himself on the back for California’s […]
Newsom Signs Dozens of New Housing Bills with No New Ideas
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been on a signing spree lately for new housing bills. To his supporters, the dozens of bills he signed represent a massive effort to overcome the decades-long housing shortage. Unfortunately, the new legislation reflects the same tired ideas that have consistently failed to resolve California’s housing crisis.
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore
Kamala Harris’s Homeownership Plan Could Become the Next Student Debt Crisis
The rising cost of homeownership has made housing policy a central component of Vice President Kamala Harris’s platform. Among her proposals is to provide $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers who have paid their rent on time for two years.
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore
Removing Homeless Encampments Doesn’t End Homelessness
In Grants Pass v. Johnson, the Supreme Court recently upheld cities’ rights to enforce ordinances against public camping, a euphemism for the homeless encampments that now litter many U.S. municipalities. Weeks later, toward the end of July, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order instructing state agencies to remove encampments from state property and urging local officials to do likewise.
Homelessness Isn’t Helplessness, but ‘Housing First’ Assumes It Is
It’s time to recognize that Housing First is a flawed policy. One of the core tenets of Housing First is that grant-receiving organizations must prioritize those most in need: the chronically homeless, the unsheltered, and those with severe mental illness or substance-use disorders (heavily overlapping categories). In practice, this often means neglecting those whose conditions are not yet deemed sufficiently desperate to warrant assistance.
As Homelessness Budgets Grow, Why Does Homelessness Keep Getting Worse?
The City of Oakland announced recently that it has been awarded $7.2 million from the state to help residents of two homeless encampments. Officials optimistically expect the money to bring 150 people off the streets and into permanent-supportive housing over the next 18 months. Unfortunately, the city’s track record gives us little cause for optimism.
Why Are Both Homelessness and Homelessness Spending Growing?
California has spent a record $24 billion fighting homelessness over the past five years, according to a state audit published last month. In other words, the homeless population and homelessness spending have grown in tandem. How is this even possible?