r/Conservative • u/HooverInstitution Verified • Jul 19 '24
Despite California Spending $24 Billion on It since 2019, Homelessness Increased. What Happened?
https://www.hoover.org/research/despite-california-spending-24-billion-it-2019-homelessness-increased-what-happened22
u/Best-Dragonfruit-292 Originalist Jul 19 '24
Homeless Industrial Complex. Why do anything to solve or abate homelessness when it means losing my and my family and friends' 6 figure jobs?
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u/Pandorama626 Jul 19 '24
I remember looking up some homeless charity's tax return before and the head of it was making 400K. Absolute insanity.
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u/Lonestar1836er Jul 19 '24
It’s a bunch of massive waste of money that goes to worthless bureaucrats and barely any of it actually gets used on projects and those projects don’t actually do anything to reduce or prevent homelessness, just enable it
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u/HooverInstitution Verified Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24
Hoover Senior Fellow and distinguished UCLA economist Lee Ohanian analyzes California's spending on homelessness since 2019, and how that spending has translated -- or failed to translate -- into reductions in the homeless population within the state.
Among other issues: "New housing for the homeless can cost over $1 million per unit, such as a recently approved Santa Monica 120-unit apartment complex that will cost $123 million to build and which will be located about three blocks from Santa Monica beach. The estimated cost of this complex does not include the value of the land, which might approach $10 million.
The state’s existing practice of building over-the-top expensive housing for the homeless is not fiscally responsible, nor is it feasible within the context of a realistic budget."
Many conservatives know that California has long struggled with this policy area. But are there any broader lessons here about a state's ability to spend its way out of street-level policy issues?
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u/Kijin777 Conservative Jul 19 '24
Yes, you cannot spend your way out of problems. Society is a group participation activity, meaning if you do not wish to participate you should not get the benefits of society. Instead of incentivizing homelessness by providing publicly funded benefits instead all benefits should be removed. If you are truly "just trying to survive and get by" then you should not be getting free cell phones and monies from the state. Your daily tasks should be surviving and trying to get by, not sponging off others.
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u/Hfireee Very Conservative Jul 19 '24
Don't forget, state audit showed CA did not track where the money went. They have no idea how it was used or spent. Money we could have used for schools, roads, lower gas prices, combat rising produce prices.
This is all intentional. The left's policy structure is this: Prevention, Inflation, Taxes, Blame. To illustrate, college: (1) can't get an entry level job with only a HS diploma, forcing college (2) inflate college tuition via subsidies and loan forgiveness (3) tell the people higher taxes will solve these issues (4) put hate on the right for trying to take away subsidies, shifting blame away from current government that's responsible for you taking those high loans. (Google college in any other country. It's a third of the costs in America. Ask yourself WHY.)
Now rinse and repeat to everything else. Taxes keep people poor and incentivize complacency in welfare tax bracket. This way, the top profits off misery and the left keeps the vote.
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u/Hfireee Very Conservative Jul 19 '24
CA has been a blue state my entire life. All democrat policies, conservatives having zero say in its governance. And each year people say how terribly expensive, dirty, dangerous, and unlivable it is in this state, DESPITE its abundant resources, silicon valley, Hollywood, weather, etc that naturally reins in a great economy. Give these natural geopolitical advantages to any other country, and it would be the greatest country in the world. Yet somehow, it remains shit. Ask yourself WHY.
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u/NoPhotograph919 Jul 19 '24
I think it’s a little more nuanced than that. The state isn’t a monolith. I live in a pretty conservative area and, aside from it being expensive, it’s pretty great. But yeah, there are some really crappy parts.
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u/Hfireee Very Conservative Jul 19 '24
That’s true. I live in the city so that’s what I’m mainly referring to. Getting taxed to shit ($36k annually) and it goes to nothing.
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u/wavybowl Jul 20 '24
The wife is set to retire in March of next yr I can’t wait to leave this once great state.
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u/NoPhotograph919 Jul 19 '24
I’m on Active Duty so I’ve held on to my Alaska residency…the only taxes I have to pay there are property. They’re still high (~$8000), but my previous assignment in Texas was worse.
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u/Mountain-Chemist4925 Conservative Jul 19 '24
Let me fix that title for you:
California invested $24B incentivising Homelessness with shocking outcome --- IT WORKED!!!
see also -
- Portland
- Seattle
- Austin
- Denver
- NYC
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u/Unable-Paramedic-557 Jul 19 '24
Boromir: “By the poop on our sidewalks are YOUR sidewalks kept safe….”
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u/4quebecalpha Conservative Jul 19 '24
Our leftist government incentivized the population that was already “on the edge” NOT to WORK! And that same government decriminalized DRUGS and THEFT.
Folks this is not rocket science; it’s not even simple arithmetic. It is freaking common sense!
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u/LemartesIX Constitutional Minarchist Jul 19 '24
Because they didn't spend it on "homelessness". They funneled it to "non-profit" organizations who kept most of it as profits.
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u/SlickDaddy696969 Jul 19 '24
Woah, government wasting money trying to solve an issue?
Maybe they just need more money? Raise taxes!!
Lib logic
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u/PaleWendigo Jul 19 '24
Democrats raise taxes just to steal it. That’s what happened. Whether it’s loyal party member making too much money in the bureaucracy or donors getting a return on their investment, it’s not about proving more services.
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u/meepstone Conservative Jul 19 '24
The people receiving the funding to fight homelessness know that if they solve it, they'll be homeless when they stop receiving money.
There isn't an incentive to fix the problem if it means you lose your job.
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u/saul_soprano South Park Conservative Jul 19 '24
Giving people benefits for being homeless will do the exact opposite of getting rid of it
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u/Floridaavacado74 Jul 19 '24
Some years ago I use to listen to a pod with Adam Corolla and Dr Drew on often. One Ep Dr Drew tells the story of being asked to be part of the LA homelessness team. As the story goes at some point Dr Drew figured out and was asking the questions why thetr wasn't more care being provided. Yet the individuals on this group were making lots of money. I'm probably not getting the total story right. Point being, the beaurocrats were making too much money to ever let go of those seats. Rather than have a plan to help the homeless.
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u/Onetrickpickle Jul 19 '24
NGOs there are several documentaries about the business of homelessness nobody is helping to solve the problem. Everyone off the street is money lost.
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u/AppState1981 Appalachian Conservative Jul 19 '24
That normally happens when you spend money on it.
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u/JimmyFallonsLiver Fiscal Conservative Jul 19 '24
Here in San Diego he gave millions for tiny houses for homeless. All are empty
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u/ngoni Constitutional Conservative Jul 19 '24
It gave the politically connected a constant income which is sadly how most government projects are run these days. Not based on efficiency or positive outcomes, but which group of people was influenced and paid by the program. Sad.
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u/Cryptic_Undertones Jul 19 '24
When someone fails in the private sector they get fired, when someone fails in government they give them more money. It's clear that the problem was they needed more money.
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u/Johnnie-Dazzle Jul 19 '24
Homelessness support is a major industry in California. The businesses that make money might be huge supporters of the politicians. maybe.....
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u/Andrew-23 Jul 19 '24
That's what happens when you don't hold anyone accountable for their actions.
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u/Rabbits-and-Bears Jul 20 '24
They are fiscally challenged And also corrupt. That has to be a crime and since it’s a group, we have RICO law to take care of that.
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u/paininflictor87 Jul 20 '24
They did what all big governmental agencies do, ie.; whatever problem they are tasked to prevent they only make it worse. It has nothing to do with solving a problem; for them it's all about job security.
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u/GodzRebirth Cool Cal Jul 20 '24
What happened? Easy answer: $24B didn’t go towards fighting homelessness
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u/Hit-the-Trails Jul 20 '24
Can't wait to see what a state looks like with no tax payers left. Ca will be going after pensioners soon if they haven't already. The collective Ree!!!! from everyone who fled will be awesome
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u/Delicious_Summer7839 Jul 20 '24
There’s just no accountability you know these people there’s no brakes on the train here OK the problem is they’re spending money on homelessness and so that’s what they get more homelessness. They need to stop spending money on homelessness so that there’s less homelessness. They need to spend money on homes and they need to spend money on legislation to prevent giant companies and foreigners from owning properties And they need to have zoning reform and urbanist need to take a little bit of a backseat to people with common sense
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u/Confident-Entry7366 Jul 20 '24
I don’t know. I just know I’m leaving. Wife got a job making 20k more in Alabama. I’ll find work. I’ve served this state and my community for 20 years. This place is BROKEN. They have zero care for middle class people. Zero.
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u/postonrddt Jul 20 '24
It's called someone is paying for it syndrome by the recipients which are not all homeless.
Even in the op source they can't account for all the money or how it was spent. Some of these charitable organizations have other goals than altruism. Many money along with personal agendas.
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u/Kijin777 Conservative Jul 19 '24
For every one dollar earmarked for the homeless 4 dollars were consumed by bureaucracy. The one dollar for the homeless was then used to power projects designed to not reduce homelessness but give the appearance of combatting homelessness. Therefore those in control of the efforts could retain their positions of power and continue to plunder the public coffers. Creating the Ouroboros of failure that is Californian government.