Bold solutions to end the homelessness crisis

New rules and innovations in California can serve as a template for all.

Homelessness has been a challenge in the United States since before it was a country, as the early colonies struggled to address the “wandering poor.” Today, it is a full-on crisis. The Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that in 2023, more than 650,000 people in the U.S. were unhoused due to factors including rising housing costs, immigration, and the end of COVID-19 relief programs. Among the states, California tops the charts, with nearly 30% of America’s homeless and 50% of the nation’s unsheltered homeless.