Proposition 1 is Fatally Flawed

If you thought homelessness in California was already at a crisis point, it could get a whole lot worse under California's Proposition 1 that is being called “Housing first”.  The truth is, it will be “Homeless Forever”.

It will raise taxes and divert funding from treatment programs that have been identified as key to reducing homelessness. Billions of taxpayer dollars would actually be diverted from much-needed programs that would solve homelessness. 

Proposition 1 will hand over funds for mental health and substance abuse treatment programs to rich developers through housing subsidies to build so-called “affordable” housing at a cost of $800,000 to $1 million per unit.

Government bonds would be used to pay developers so it should be no surprise that many of the rich politically-connected developers who could be eligible for billions in taxpayer subsidies are making massive campaign contributions to help pass the proposition.

The measure would amend the state constitution to strip voters of the right to vote against controversial welfare housing projects that don’t fit their community and could contribute to an increase in neighborhood crime.

Since 2018 California has already spent over $25 billion on homeless programs resulting in a 30% increase in the state homeless population according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. One-third of all the homeless in the U.S. are in California even though we have roughly 12% of the U.S. Population.

Newsom’s failed “Housing First” proposals began in San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles in 2008. Then, in 2016, Senate Bill 1380 became the law requiring all homeless housing programs to adopt the Housing First model. It exempts homeless people from enforcement of laws in local communities for panhandling, public intoxication, defecation, theft, illegal encampments or trespassing promoting the concept that homeless persons should never be expected to follow the laws like no drug use or required mental health therapy.

‘Housing First’ proposes cutting funding for shelter beds and transitory housing units in favor of permanent housing which says we should build every homeless person a full condo unit with amenities and hand over the keys with an expectation that taxpayers will continue to fund that unit permanently.

California state regulations currently ban funding from being given to homeless programs if they enforce rules like no drug use or required mental health treatment. It’s incongruent. A study by the American Journal of Community Psychology found that 75% of chronically homeless persons have substance abuse problems or severe mental illness. 

Even the Archives of General Psychiatry and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have concluded that having permanent housing has no effect on treating or improving substance abuse and mental health issues among the chronically homeless. Bottom line, handing over the keys to a free home will not change the dysfunction and disease inside a person that made them homeless in the first place.

Wouldn’t it be better to put “People First”? We must take into account the myriad of causes of homelessness and strategically position programs to deal with the root causes.  

For those who are displaced because they are down on their luck, couldn’t pay their rent or lost their job, they may need some targeted programs to help them get back on their feet.

For those who are dysfunctional or chronically homeless or cannot hold down a job, can never meet their bills, and can’t function in society for a prolonged period of time, and they are addicted and have mental health disorders, other approaches may be more successful for them.

“People First” could take a fresh new approach by fully enforcing all laws equally, especially loitering, pan-handling, indecency, violence, theft, vagrancy and trespassing in public right-of-ways.  We should use every resource to get homeless individuals into treatment programs to work on their root causes.  We should prioritize transitional housing units for those that are economically displaced, particularly families.

For individuals with substance abuse or mental health problems, commit to provide them with a warm and safe shelter bed and three meals a day provided that they comply with rules for clean, sane, and sober living.

Ramp up substance abuse and mental health counseling programs ensuring every homeless person gets the services they need.

Require every homeless person who receives taxpayer assistance to join a work detail in their community to pick up trash and perform public service.

Proposition 1 is fatally flawed and misdirected, doing more harm than good.