Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that preliminary statewide data shows homelessness declined in 2025 by the largest margin in more than 15 years, even as homelessness continued to rise across much of the US.
There has been a 9% decrease in unsheltered homelessness even as it increases nationwide, based on data from California communities, according to Newsom’s office.
The preliminary annual point-in-time counts were assessed using data collected from 30 Continuums of Care and reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Newsom’s office said the data suggests recent state strategies aimed at expanding shelter and resolving encampments have contributed to the decline.
I made homelessness a top priority in 2019 with my eyes wide open — knowing we had to take on a broken system that was failing far too many people.
The housing strategies we’ve put in place are working, and they’re turning this crisis around.
We won’t stop until the job is… pic.twitter.com/3luc6525Po
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 11, 2026
“I made homelessness a top priority in 2019 with my eyes wide open — knowing we had to take on a broken system that was failing far too many people,” the governor said in a statement announcing the data.
No one should be without a home and California is “proving there is a solution,” he said.
While the strategies are working to help turn the crisis around, the state’s efforts are not over yet, he said.
“We won’t stop until everyone has a safe, stable place to call home,” Governor Newsom said.
The announcement comes despite “significant federal headwinds and Trump’s failed economic agenda,” which threatens California’s progress, according to the statement.
Over the past year, the Trump administration has tried to “dismantle the national safety net” by adding bureaucracy to food and healthcare assistance for low-income families, delayed HUD homeless assistance funds, tried to block key investments in permanent supportive housing, and proposed the elimination of programs that help people get back on their feet, the statement said.
California’s Investments to Curb Homelessness
California has been making investments since 2019, including launching a Homekey program, which has created roughly 16,000 homes across 250 projects and reached more than 172,000 residents, according to the statement.
The state has also invested $2.25 billion through Homekey+ to support individuals with mental health or substance use challenges and veterans, and appropriated more than $5 billion for the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) program.
The state has also invested $1 billion in Encampment Resolution Funds to provide services and housing to help 23,000 individuals across 120 encampment sites transition from homelessness, the statement said.
In December 2025, Governor Newsom announced over $52 million in grant funding through 90 new projects to address homelessness and revitalize communities. Aiming to strengthen neighborhoods and ensure communities can thrive, the state announced the Community Development Block Grants and 2024 Emergency Solutions Grants.
State officials said California limited overall homelessness growth to about 3% in 2024, compared with an increase of more than 18% nationwide, according to the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Unsheltered homelessness in California increased by less than 0.5% that year, compared with an estimated 7% rise nationally, according to the administration.
States like Florida, Texas, and New York, and Illinois recorded higher increases both in percentage and absolute numbers, according to the statement.
Governor Newsom’s New Model
- Address mental health and its impact on homelessness by ending a 7,000 behavioral health bed shortage by expanding community treatment centers and permanent supportive housing units. Voters approved Proposition 1 in 2024, authorizing a $6.4 billion behavioral health bond to address long-standing treatment and housing shortages.
- Create new avenues for those who need help the most by updating conservatorship laws for the first time in 50 years to include people who cannot provide for their own personal safety or necessary medical care. A new CARE court system was also established to create court-ordered plans for up to 24 months for people suffering from untreated mental illness, and substance use challenges.
- Prioritizing new housing by signing into law reforms to build more housing and boost affordability, including broad CEQ reforms.
- Developing shelter and support by providing funds and creating programs for local governments.
- Removing dangerous encampments. In 2024, Governor Newsom filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court defending communities’ authority to clear encampments.
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Our next President!
doulie/Ka Pono/BasicInfo805: Not so quick. Think again and look at recent history. President Trump, regarded by some as the worst POTUS ever in the history of the USA, handily won in 2016 and in 2024. IF Trump can win, then just about anyone can become president….and yes, that includes Gavin Newsom. Newsom has a lot of hurdles in his way, but his (D) opponents are going to rip/tear/shred him apart. If gasoline prices in Cali skyrocket within the next six months or less, that alone can sink him in the eyes of the folks who vote. I have family scattered across the country and here’s what they are currently paying in their local areas for gas: $2.15 (Arkansas), $1.95 (Texas), $2.25 (Illinois), $1.75 (Colorado), $2.70 (Vermont), $3.30 (Alaska), and $3.30 (Long Island, NY). Overall, gas prices, including California have gone down quite a bit in the last 12 months.
BEES – you’re kind of right. I mean heck, KAPO, DOLLY and BASICALLYAWAYSLIES all voted for someone they KNOW raped at least one woman, bragged about sexually assaulting others AND bragged about watching teen girls naked in their dressing rooms AND was convicted of fraud. If an open rapist, convicted liar and fraud and proud protector of pedophiles can get enough votes from our uneducated masses, so too could a guy who actually tries to help others.
Gavin’s worst “offense” is spending too much on a train that might never happen. He’s decreased homelessness and protected our environment so even supporters of rape and pedophelia like KAPO, DOLLY and BASICALLYILLITERATE have clean air and water.
Great thing about this country is that there are far more educated and moral people than Trump supporters. We just need them to get out and vote to save the country, not to penalize Democrats for not being “progressive” enough like they did with Kamala/Biden.
Remember in 2020 when Newsom forced businesses to close, leaving hundreds of thousands of Californians unemployed even as he was caught dining unmasked at the ultra-expensive French Laundry? $425 per person? Oops.
How about prop 50? When Texas attempted to redistrict the state, it was met with claims by the DNC is an attempt to rig the Texas maps at the behest of Donald Trump.
Yet the DNC applauded when Newsom did the same thing in CA.
President Donald Trump is the first Republican presidential candidate to win the popular vote in 20 years. Social media users have wrongly claimed that Trump lost the popular vote, but they are confusing the popular vote with a majority of votes. The unofficial results show Trump received slightly less than a majority, but more votes than any candidate (Factcheck.org)
Again, run Newsom – You wasted your vote on Kamala, so you can repeat history with your buddy Gavin.
KaPono faux Hawaaian do you remember when Trump shut down the entire country and hired Dr. FAUCI? He even parked medical naval vessels off of LA and New York.
KAPO – well well well….. you actually provided a source!
You know how you always say Trump won a “majority” of the votes? Your own source confirms you are WRONG. Again.
Will you now finally admit that he did NOT win by a “majority?”
Yes or no?
Did you read the post? “The unofficial results show Trump received slightly less than a majority”
But more votes than any candidate.
Anon, In March 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing him to issue lockdown orders and close businesses however he saw fit – He did force businesses to close, including where I worked.
Luckily my company set us all up to work remotely, unfortunately a lot of businesses chose to simply shut down.
Anon:
Again, gerrymandering was okay in CA. but not in Texas.
(The Trump administration launched Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership that invested billions of dollars to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of multiple vaccine candidates. The initial COVID 19 vaccination program began under the Trump administration in December 2020. The Biden administration then managed the wider, mass-scale rollout and administration of the vaccines across the country). (Google AI)
KAPO – did you have trouble understanding my question?
Of course you did. Now, once more, YES or NO….. do you believe Trump won by a MAJORITY of votes?
If the answer is anything other than NO, you’ve failed.
Texas gerrymandered on racial grounds, and did not do so in response to a vote by their citizens. California’s redistricting was a direct response to counter their attempts to subvert democracy.
You servile morons are helping the fascists destroy our country.
KaKaPo shoveling more horsepuckey. In California, the voters chose redistricting, to fight the gerrymandering being imposed on Texas voters by the kakistocracy. Newsom didn’t force any businesses to close. A global pandemic did. Many businesses still thrived. tRump ignored the rise of the pandemic and fought science-based public health the whole time, resulting in thousands of unnecessary deaths. You slavish people are pathetic.
Sacjon: Thank you for backing me up on my comment. I know you (and a few others) rarely agree with anything I comment on. So it’s nice to receive positive feedback and very much appreciated!
Sure Bees. Now please have your juice box and oatmeal.
Ha:) Thanks for the comedy.
Please, please run Newsom.
I’ll 2nd that.
We know you have a girly man crush on Vance.
All you have is insults. I dare the left to run Newsom – Harris had a better chance.
Victim card once again
Progress!
Another in the string of successes, along with growing from the seventh to the fourth largest global economy.
Go Gov U-Haul !!
00PS – what’s wrong with lowering the number of homeless? Isn’t that a thing you MAGAts are alway crying about?
Very dishonest and misleading.
The MAGACAN TEAPUBLICRATS do absolutely nothing to help people. Republicans have never helped the homeless in any way.
HAMMONDS – what is “misleading?” Express your feelings.
> Very dishonest and misleading.
True of every single comment by you, ooper, basic, zippo, jizmo, sail, kapo, do-lie et. al.
If you believe that, I’ve got some beachfront property looking at the Molokai channel for sale for cheap in Nevada
Then prove it wrong.
Given the amount of BILLIONS of our tax $$ Newsom has thrown at this problem, there should be a fraud investigation. It’s likely a target rich environment
Fantasy again.
OPPS – you whine about the money spent, then whine that the problem has been addressed, then whine that now it could only be done through fraud, all the while supporting a convicted fraud, ignoring the billions in fraud in the southern Red States, support corruption at the most blatant and highest levels and don’t give AF about how much money has been taken from local police to spend on ICE so they can continue terrorizing and killing non violent immigrants and protesters.
You hate the homeless so much that you are willing to overlook all this evil and corruption and still cry that when their numbers go down, it’s not good enough.
How do you people live life with so much hate and fear of people who do nothing to you?
Typical MAGAmorons here. You see cold, hard facts and insist they aren’t real. Like with Renee Good, we all saw what happened, yet you make things up out of thin air or echo what a convicted liar told you to believe. Now, you see actual progress and numbers proving the homeless population has decreased in CA, but because you hate the homeless so much (almost more than you hate liberal women who don’t obey men), you cry and moan that it’s not real or not done correctly.
Liars, dupes, fools and criminal lovers, the lot. Not an honest, decent one among the lot.
MAGA mindsheep lend well to authoritarian disinformation and parrot it. The NAZlS used it rather effectively – fortunately, we have access to information so the lies are countered. Amazing, the same tiny minds climb out from under the sludge as did those who supported Hltler, Mussolini, populist demagogues like Joseph McCarthy and other fascist strongmen who used division and disinformation throughout history. The weakest minds are the first to be persuaded easily as is evident with many of these posts supporting the pervasive Trumpian evils.
What?
Audit finds California spent $24B on homelessness in 5 years, didn’t consistently track outcomes
California spent $24 billion to tackle homelessness over the past five years but didn’t consistently track whether the huge outlay of public money actually improved the situation, according to state audit released Tuesday.
With makeshift tents lining the streets and disrupting businesses in cities and towns throughout California, homelessness has become one of the most frustrating and seemingly intractable issues in the country’s most populous state. An estimated 171,000 people are homeless in California.
Despite the billions of dollars spent on more than 30 homeless and housing programs, California doesn’t have reliable data needed to fully understand why the problem didn’t improve in many cities, according to state auditor’s report.
Hey ZIPS – we all know those aren’t your own words. Don’t be a lazy cheating liar like KAPO. Provide your source.
And overall, just stop. You don’t give a rat’s a** about government waste or fraud. You just don’t like it when money is used for things you hate: homeless people, post-birth children, poor people, education, etc. You and your MAGA simp buddies get all hot whenever he spends our money militarizing our streets, attacking sovereign nations, funding Israel’s corrupt government, renaming stupid crap, murdering fishermen while violating all laws of war, etc. You have any idea how many BILLIONS of $$$ your orange turd is going to cost us taxpayers when the law finally catches up with him and his cabinet? Dude….. we’re ALL funding that traitorous rapist’s defense. THAT should be your concern. But of course, no….. you’d rather cry about homelessness finally DECREASING in CA…..
Ah, forget it ZIP. I know you don’t have the capability to admit when you’re caught cheating…
Here’s the article Zip lifted from:
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/california-homelessness-spending-audit-24b-five-years-didnt-consistently-track-outcomes/
Gee, that article is ALMOST TWO YEARS OLD. You know, from “before time,” not “now time.” That means it is ABSOLUTLEY IRRELEVENT to this article which discusses a RECENT drop in numbers.
If you’re going to be a lazy, stupid cheat, at least steal words written that actually refute (gonna need to look that one up) the article you’re crying about.
Zipstain AI word salad.
That’s B.S. !!!! Who’s counting ? A blind man
Provide a cite for your absurd claim, or it’s just that.
Anon – Is your question directed at Newsom?
It’s obviously directed to jizmo, who made unsubstantiated claims, dear perpetually dishonest do-lie. Newsom did cite: “The data was derived using HUD’s standard reporting approach, and is based on data reported by 30 Continuums of Care”.
Say, when are we supposed to start loving Trump? It’s been considerably more than three months, you despicable clown.
“Arf! Arf!” is not an argument.
I like Newsom(e) for President – why not? He’s very appealing to the blue states. What’s not to like? A hypocritical, California career politician – that’s cool right? Career lipstick politicians from a progressive, sanctuary state should have a good shot at winning over the Midwest, right? Minnesota is a score for Gavin. Beyond that….hmm
Gov. Newsom really needs to step up his game if he plans to become the POTUS in 2028. It’s not going to be enough to simply say he hates Trump more than the next candidate to win over Independents. His (D) opponents are going to have a field day with him, especially with the great exodus of people leaving California (not a good sign), the not-so-high-speed rail program (20 times over budget and nearly 20 years behind “schedule”), and of course some of his unsavory personal behavior. At least he’s trying as far as I can tell.
Another drivel sandwhich with FOX News sauce.
tRump is certainly savory.
More Bends Knees lies, like “mass exodus”.
The ‘mass exodus’ claim is debatable, but clearly the high cost of living in CA. is for real driving folks out of the state, to deny it is savory. (Bring on the insults Anon)
For the sixth consecutive year, California had the largest outmigration of any state in the country, according to the annual U-Haul Growth Index for 2025
However, much of this domestic migration has been offset by foreign arrivals. Net international migration to California during the year ending July 1, 2025 reached 126,000 people which offsets the number of residents fleeing the state.
“For over 20 years, California has experienced negative net domestic migration, in which the number of people moving out of the state in a year exceeds the number moving in,” says the Department of Finance report (MSN.com)
KAPODODO – “to deny it is savory?”
LOL OK, so how is denying that cost of living is a factor (no one at all ever anywhere here did) in people leaving CA either 1) more salty than sweet tasting or 2) morally acceptable?
Like seriously…. what?
Repuglicans: People should leave if they can’t afford to live here
Also Repuglicans: Too many people are leaving.
So tree, you never answered if you rented. Are you a renter or owner?.
Too many people are leaving due to costs, and over taxation due to poor management, and wasted tax money.
Yeah, those people should have managed their money better, but at least they’re doing what you cons always advocate – moving to cheaper venues.
Kono – I don’t usually answer people who don’t add any value to the conversation. I usually let them wallow in crayons at the kids table. I have a very nice real estate portfolio including multi unit apartment buildings in multiple states. Did you need tax advice? Do you need to pick up a few extra hours on the weekend?
KAPO – why do you care if GT rents or owns? I own and know people who make more than I do and they rent. It means nothing. Some people bought homes in SB when it was more affordable and now pay less than newcomers who make more $$ maybe but can’t afford a home at 2-3x the price it was when others bought theirs.
The fact that you think it means anything just bolsters your other childishly stupid comments.
Also, owning properties doesn’t make you necessarily smart or even a good person. Just look at your president.