Outpacing the nation in reducing homelessness
Homelessness has continued to rise nationally, increasing more than 18% in 2024. California is bucking the national trend by keeping the statewide increase at 3 %. This is a lower rate than 40 other states.
California is also one of the few states that has significantly mitigated the increase in homelessness, keeping it at 0.45%. By 2024, the number of unsheltered people nationwide will increase by almost 7%, compared to growth of less than 0.45% in California. In other high-population states like Illinois, Florida, New York, and Texas, the growth of homelessness has outpaced California in percentage and numbers.
Ending decades of inaction on homelessness
The Newsom administration is making significant progress in ending decades of inaction on addressing homelessness. Between 2014 and 2019, the number of unsheltered homeless people in California increased by about 37,000 people, more than double the increase seen under the Newsom administration. Since 2019, the number of unsheltered homeless people has increased increased by 14.3%a clear improvement compared to Increase of 51.8% in the five years preceding the Newsom administration.
More beds, more shelters
California is a national leader in year-round availability of shelter beds. While the total number of shelter beds declined by nearly 4% nationally, Shelter capacity in California increased 5.7% year-round, to 208,517 beds. – more than any other state in the country. Under the Newsom administration, California made a record 71,000 shelter beds available. This is almost double the number created in the previous five-year period, before 2019.
This increased capacity has significantly reduced the percentage of Californians experiencing homelessness, providing shelter and services to more people in need. California’s year-round shelter growth rate has exceeded that of 35 other states (including Washington, DC).
More care, more responsibility
Governor Newsom has made addressing the homelessness crisis a top priority by adopting strategies to expand care and housing while implementing new accountability measures to ensure local governments are actively tackling to homelessness, with a particular focus on reducing homelessness.
In August, Governor Newsom issued a decree urging local governments to adopt policies and plans consistent with the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) existing encampment policy. This policy prioritizes encampments that pose a threat to the life, health and safety of the community, while ensuring a humane approach. Caltrans provides advance notice of clearance and works with local service providers to support individuals experiencing homelessness in the encampment, and stores personal property collected at the site for at least 60 days.
As required by the Governor’s Executive Order, the California Interagency Council on Homelessness has issued new directions to help local communities manage encampments. The guidelines provide local communities with best practices for resolving encampments and connecting individuals in encampments to services and housing.
California is also transforming behavioral health care by improving access, accountability, transparency and capacity.
This includes the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court, a first-in-the-nation approach to creating accountability to connect people with untreated psychosis to the treatment and housing they need. It also includes Proposition 1, which expands the behavioral health continuum by using existing funds and providing care for people with mental health issues and substance use disorders – with a particular focus on people the most seriously ill, the most vulnerable and those most at risk of homelessness. or in a situation of homelessness.