California’s homelessness programs lack accountability despite $24 billion allocated, exacerbating the crisis.
California, the self-proclaimed beacon of progressivism, is facing a crisis of epic proportions: homelessness. But what’s truly shocking isn’t the sheer number of individuals living on the streets—it’s the astronomical amount of money poured into programs that seem to vanish into thin air.
According to a scathing report released by the state auditor’s office, California’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) is about as effective as a screen door on a submarine. Despite being tasked with coordinating and evaluating the state’s efforts to combat homelessness, the ICH has failed miserably in its duties. In fact, the auditor’s report revealed that California lacks even the most basic information on the costs and outcomes of its homelessness programs. Billions of taxpayer dollars have been funneled into these initiatives, with little to show for it.
But it gets worse. Not only has the ICH failed to track where all that money is going, but it has also neglected to establish a consistent method for evaluating the effectiveness of these programs. Talk about dropping the ball. And let’s not forget about the accuracy of the data collected—spoiler alert: it’s about as reliable as a fortune told by a carnival psychic.
In a feeble attempt to save face, the state auditor recommended that the ICH develop a scorecard to track program outcomes. But let’s be real here, folks. If California can’t even keep track of where its billions are going, what hope do we have that a simple scorecard will magically fix everything?
Meanwhile, homelessness in California has reached crisis levels. San Francisco, the city by the bay, has become a breeding ground for makeshift tent cities, with over 500 sites recorded in 2023 alone. And while the city has spent millions on new public restrooms, it seems they’re just flushing money down the drain—literally. With over 32,000 calls concerning feces in the streets, it’s clear that San Francisco’s sanitation efforts are going down the toilet.
But the madness doesn’t end there. In Los Angeles, the homelessness crisis has become so dire that it’s shutting down schools and driving away businesses. An art school was forced to close its doors due to the stench of urine and the sight of feces littering the sidewalks. And let’s not forget about the $83 million project to convert a luxury hotel into housing for the homeless. Because nothing says “progress” like turning a five-star hotel into a homeless shelter.
So, what’s the takeaway from all this? California’s homelessness problem isn’t just a failure of policy—it’s a failure of leadership. With billions of dollars wasted and no end in sight, it’s clear that the powers that be are more interested in virtue signaling than actually solving the problem. And until they wake up and smell the feces-covered sidewalks, the Golden State will continue to slide further into the abyss.
Source: