Last Updated on May 14, 2024 by BVN
Overview: California’s homelessness crisis has been growing, with over 180,000 people counted in 2023, a 53% increase from 2013. Despite billions of dollars spent on homeless programs, the state lacks current information on the costs and outcomes of these programs. The California State Auditor found that the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) has not consistently tracked and evaluated the state’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness. The auditor recommended that the California State Legislature mandate reporting by state agencies on the costs and outcomes of their homelessness programs and require Cal ICH to compile and publicly report this information.
S.E. Williams
Homelessness remains a pressing and concerning issue in the inland region, around the state and across the nation. Only about seven percent of CA’s population is Black but Blacks in the state represent more than 25% of the state’s homeless population. How money on homelessness programs is being spent and the success of the programs—including sustainable solutions, matter–especially to the Black Community.
In 2023, more than 180,000 people were counted among California’s homeless population–nearly a combined 8.000 here in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Statewide, this represents a mind-boggling startling 53 percent increase in the decade between 2013 and 2023.
Billions of dollars have poured into ongoing efforts at the state and local levels to curtail the homelessness crisis by funding programs that are “dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.”
But, it seems as more and more money is poured into the effort to curtain it . . . the crisis continues to deepen. How many people have been/are being helped? In what ways? What are the costs associated with administering each program? What sustainable solutions are being funded? What programs are devoted to keeping people from falling into homelessness?
In April, the California State Auditor released findings related to an audit of California’s homelessness funding that included an evaluation of efforts undertaken by the state. Although the auditors were not seeking to answer my hypothetical list of questions above, instead, they had a list of their own. What the agency found was remarkable.
In effect, auditors concluded that the state lacks current information on the costs and outcomes of the numerous homeless programs. Auditors claimed this is because the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH), “has not consistently tracked and evaluated the state’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness.” Cal ICH was created in 2017, to oversee the implementation of Housing First policies, guidelines, and regulations intended to reduce the prevalence and duration of homelessness in the state. It now oversees several departments related to this effort.
“The impact of institutional and structural racism in education, criminal justice, housing, employment, health care, and access to opportunities cannot be denied: homelessness is a by-product of racism in America.”
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
In essence, the state is spending billions on one of the most pressing issues of our time without accountability tracking to determine how the money is being spent or an effective means of measuring success of the various programs.
Although the auditor looked at two cities in particular (San Diego and San Jose) and released findings and conclusions related to them in a separate report, in general, the audit concluded that the State of CA “must do more to assess the cost-effectiveness of its homelessness programs.”
Last year, Cal ICH reported financial information for fiscal years 2018–19 through 2020–21, but then did not continue to track and report the information “despite the significant amount of additional funding to address the homeless crisis over the past two years.”
Also, according to the auditor, Cal ICH’s action plan to end homelessness is “not aligned with its statutory goals to collect financial information and ensure accountability and results.” As a result, according to the audit summary, “it lacks assurance that the actions it takes will effectively enable it to achieve those goals.”
Also, because the state does not have a consistent method for gathering key information about costs and outcomes of individual programs, auditors called it, “another significant gap in the State’s ability to assess programs.”
Although auditors did confirm at least five, state-funded homelessness programs including the Department of Housing and Community Development’s Homekey program and the California Department of Social Services’ CalWORKs Housing Support Program “appear” to be cost‑effective, they were unable to assess the cost‑effectiveness of three other programs reviewed because sufficient data was not collected on the programs’ outcomes.
Among the recommendations made by the state auditor’s office, two stand out. First, the auditor is calling for the California State Legislature to mandate reporting by state agencies on the costs and outcomes of their homelessness programs. Second, the auditor is requiring Cal ICH to compile and publicly report this information.
The success of these programs are important especially to the Black community due to the impact of homelessness among Blacks. Part of that success rests in the credible administration of funding and meaningful program outcomes.
We should demand accountability to ensure much needed programs are being fairly funded, administered and is producing desired results.
Of course this is just my opinion. I am keeping it real.