Sacramento, California – California officials say the state is beginning to see signs of progress in one of its toughest battles: homelessness. Nearly 30 years of escalating encampments and rising housing costs have made California the center of the nation’s crisis, but new local data suggest the state’s recent efforts may be starting to bend the curve.
Preliminary reports from point-in-time counts conducted in January show that some of California’s largest counties and cities are recording reductions in homelessness. Los Angeles County reports a 9.5 percent drop in unsheltered homelessness, Los Angeles city a 7.9 percent decrease, and San Diego city an even larger 13.5 percent decline in total homelessness. Inland areas like Riverside and San Bernardino counties also saw double-digit decreases in unsheltered counts, while places such as Contra Costa, Sonoma, and Ventura counties reported substantial overall reductions. Kings County recorded one of the sharpest drops statewide, at 26.7 percent.
The results, while still subject to verification by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, have given state leaders confidence that their broader strategy is working. Governor Gavin Newsom has touted the numbers as evidence that California is no longer standing still on homelessness. “Addressing encampments means more than just sweeping them up,” he said, pointing to investments in mental health treatment, expanded shelter space, and housing reforms…