I’m a homeless advocate, calling for recovery, accountability and faith-based reform in California’s approach for funding homelessness.
As California continues to struggle with rising homelessness, despite record funding and new housing initiatives, I have consistently challenged the dominant approach known as Housing First. I have lived experience with homelessness, which has shaped my belief that California’s current model is fundamentally flawed. I argue that Housing First, a policy that prioritizes providing permanent housing without requiring sobriety, treatment or participation in services, fails to address the deeper causes of chronic homelessness.
The crisis isn’t just about a lack of housing; it’s about addiction, mental illness, trauma and the loss of accountability that once defined recovery-based programs. I have never published a single comprehensive policy to replace Housing First; however, my public statements and advocacy paint a clear picture of the alternative. I envision a “treatment-first” approach rooted in structure, accountability, and recovery…