California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing backlash for failing to track the effectiveness of $20 billion worth of state homeless resources and programs. Despite the significant spending, the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (CICH) has failed to provide data on how many people have been helped or taken off the streets.
Lawmakers have expressed frustration over the lack of accountability, particularly during Monday’s budget committee hearing. Democratic Assemblymember Phil Ting questioned the effectiveness of spending, asking, “How many people have we helped? How many people are off the street?”
CICH executives responded that they are dealing with “data quality issues” and that metrics are not yet available for the more than $20 billion spent since the council’s inception. Megan Kirkeby, deputy director for the California Department of Housing and Community Development, acknowledged that the state did not previously require tracking of progress or program viability.
Last month, CICH shifted blame to local cities, stating that they are primarily responsible for implementing programs and collecting outcome data. However, as the state faces a significant budget deficit, both Republicans and Democrats in the legislature fear the audit’s findings could impact funding requests for homelessness crisis programs.
California’s homelessness crisis is the most severe in the nation, with over 181,000 people living on the streets. Despite billions spent on homelessness and housing programs during the 2018-2023 fiscal years, the problem has not improved in many cities.
In a recent report, the state auditor found that nine state agencies have collectively spent $24 billion in state funding over the past five years in administering homelessness programs. However, the auditor noted that CICH has failed to consistently track the effectiveness of these programs or collect outcome data.
Governor Newsom has responded by calling for cities to take more rigorous steps to enforce the state’s progressive housing laws. In a press conference, he announced that the state would expand the Department of Housing and Community Development to enforce compliance with laws requiring cities to meet a threshold of new homes.
Neither Newsom’s office nor CICH has responded to requests for comment on the matter.
