Standing on an Oakland street flanked by legislative allies, California Gov. Gavin Newsom made a sweeping promise in 2021: California would eliminate family homelessness within five years. Backed by an unprecedented $75 billion budget surplus and $27 billion in federal stimulus, his administration committed $12 billion to the crisis, including $3.5 billion for housing units and rental subsidies.

His strategy? Double down on Housing First—a one-size-fits-all policy California adopted in 2016 after the federal government’s 2013 embrace of it.

Housing First promises permanent, taxpayer-funded housing with no expectations—no sobriety, no treatment, no work, ever.

Somehow, the governor missed the glaring reality that under Housing First, homelessness in California exploded by 34%, and unsheltered homelessness by 47% between 2017-2021.

Fast forward to 2025, and the devastation is even clearer. Family homelessness has surged 22%, and the number of homeless students has jumped 9% in just the last year.

Far from improving, the crisis facing California’s homeless families is spiraling further out of control.

In 2021, 

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