Overview

• California has spent approximately $24 billion over the past five years on homelessness, but a state audit finds major deficiencies in tracking spending and program effectiveness.
• Homelessness has increased by 53% since 2013, with California accounting for nearly a third of the nation's homeless population.
• Only two of the five major state-funded homelessness programs were deemed potentially cost-effective, highlighting a lack of reliable data for the others.
• The California Interagency Council on Homelessness has not consistently tracked program outcomes since 2021, complicating efforts to address the crisis.
• Recent legislative and public initiatives aim to improve the situation, but the state continues to struggle with transparency and accountability in its homelessness programs.