New Report on San Francisco Homelessness Supplies Actual Coverage Options

Why is homelessness increasing in California but decreasing in every other state in the country? California is home to more than 151,000 people who are now homeless across the state – a 31% increase from 2015 – according to the Independent Institute, a public research and education organization.

The flagship of homelessness in California is the San Francisco Bay Area, where housing and homeless crises will not be resolved until policymakers and service providers stop relying on conventional approaches that don’t work, says the Independent Institute.

“The cause of this tragic surge is mainly due to failing state and local government policies fueled homelessness, ”says the Independent Institute. “That includes channeling funding almost entirely to Housing First, a unified approach to homelessness. Applying this approach to every homeless person in California would be prohibitive ($ 75 billion) and studies show Housing First does not reduce homelessness. Meanwhile, an immense government regulation regime for housing is preventing and hampering the construction of any housing, which is fueling the affordable housing crisis. “

Homelessness increased in CA while it decreased in all other states. (Map: www.beyondhomeless.org/our-work/

“Homelessness across the country decreased from 647,000 in 2007 to about 568,000 in 2019 (a decrease of more than 12%), and in California it continued to increase, from about 139,000 to over 151,000 in the same period (an increase of almost 9 percent), “the institute’s Beyond Homeless reports.

And the San Francisco Bay Area is Ground Zero:

“In San Francisco, homelessness has increased 17% since 2017 (31% if you use a broader definition that includes those in prisons, hospitals, and inpatient treatment centers). During that time, homelessness rose 40% in San Jose and 47% in Oakland. “

However, the Independent Institute doesn’t just point the finger – it proposes well-researched solutions in a new report. The institute thoroughly analyzes the causes of homelessness, criticizes current homelessness and housing policy and gives realistic recommendations for solving the housing and homeless crisis.

Beyond Homeless: Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes, Transformative Solutions, by Mary LG Theroux, Adam B. Summers, Lawrence J. McQuillan, Jonathan Hofer, Hovannes Abramyan, and Scott Beyer, examines housing policy and concludes that California’s housing crisis will be resolved must, not just for the homeless, but for all Californians. The report also shows that significant progress can be made in eradicating homelessness before housing expansion.

The Globe spoke to Mary Theroux, co-author of the report and director of the Beyond Homeless initiative. Theroux has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Salvation Army for many years, which advocates the services of addicts, those in need and many others.

Theroux said the report doesn’t expect the government to fix homelessness or provide funding, but it does require government approval for redevelopment projects aimed at affordable housing.

“Homelessness is complicated, and the causes are unique to each individual,” said Theroux. “So a one-size-fits-all approach will never be effective. But this is how homelessness will continue to be addressed. “

The report found:

• The most common self-reported cause of homelessness was job loss (26 percent)
• Alcohol or drug use was the second most common reason (18 percent)
• Eviction (13 percent)
• Thrown out after an argument with family or friends (12 percent).

This is no surprise in San Francisco, California, one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.

The report takes up the flawed “Housing First” policy of the Obama administration. “By dictating Housing First as the universal solution to homelessness, government agencies have effectively cut public funding for programs with alternative approaches. This has been particularly punishing for the type of longer term support programs that have been shown to help the homeless reach their full potential. “

State and local governments are failing to adequately address the homelessness crisis by simply allocating more and more funds to it. “Governments across California are spending record amounts of taxpayers’ money on homelessness, but the problem continues to grow. This suggests that the failure to adequately tackle homelessness is not due to a lack of government programs or insufficient taxpayers’ money, but rather to poorly designed strategies and programs with the wrong priorities. “

“In San Francisco alone, the city spent $ 365 million on homelessness in fiscal year 2019-20, an 84 percent increase over the past six years. With the addition of funding from state and state governments, along with contributions from private corporations, foundations, and the approximately 100 Bay Area nonprofits that provide services to the homeless, the total comes closer to $ 1 billion a year. “San Francisco has 873,965 inhabitants.

The Independent Institute highlights successful programs that get the homeless off the streets, provide comprehensive services and treatments, and help bring many back into a productive society.

Recommendations include:

• Abolition of prevailing wage laws that increase average construction costs for affordable housing projects by 10 to 25 percent – and increase total project costs by up to 46 percent;
• Optimize or Eliminate CEQA;
• Revision of the laws on the preservation of monuments;
• Minimize development impact fees;
• Easing zoning restrictions, removing limits to urban growth and improving property rights;
• Eliminate the requirements for inclusion zones (affordable housing) and rental controls.

You can read the report on Beyond Homeless.

The Independent Institute also has an accompanying documentary, Beyond Homeless: Finding Hope, which will be released in early 2022.