Ahead of his upcoming debate with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Gov. Gavin Newsom bragged Monday about the progress his administration has supposedly made in addressing the homelessness crisis.
While announcing an additional $300 million to help local governments move unhoused people off the streets, Newsom claimed the state has “removed” 5,679 encampments since 2021, and budgeted enough money to get an estimated 23,000 people into shelter.
“But the problem is, has he added up how many people have fallen into homelessness during that time?” Rev. Andy Bales, chief executive of Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row, asked.
A partial statewide count conducted in early 2023 suggests that California’s unhoused population has increased nearly 9% since January 2022, with a 10% increase in unsheltered homelessness.
In Los Angeles County, homelessness has risen 28% since Newsom took office, from 58,936 in 2019 to 75,518 in 2023.
Bales told KNX News that Newsom would be wise to avoid bringing up homelessness during his debate with DeSantis.
“He’d really be better off not comparing California’s success with addressing homelessness with Florida’s, because it’s not even close,” he said.
During this January’s survey, Miami counted 608 unhoused people, compared to L.A.’s tens of thousands. Bales said the reason Florida has so few people living on the streets is because they have adequate levels of immediate shelter for those who need it.
In L.A., however, there are only enough shelter beds for a fraction of the unhoused population, and those housing sites are often dirty and dangerous.
“We are moving people to very expensive, subpar, dangerous, drug-filled housing, while leaving tens of thousands to suffer and die on our streets,” Bales said. “And as long as that is reality, our governor should refrain from any bragging.”
Bales pointed out that six unhoused people in L.A. County die every day.
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