Homelessness Standstill in California: Why We Can’t Get Out

According to the White House Council on Economic Advisors, homelessness is a “serious problem” caused by decades of misguided and faulty policies. In California, the epidemic persists, despite new taxes, new legislation, and increasing national attention. Why can’t we come together and solve the problem?

Politics at play

In California the scenario plays out like this. In addressing the issue, Ben Carson visits Los Angeles and acknowledges that people are suffering, and something must be done. People applaud, it makes headlines, and Trump boasts. Mixed in with the applause and news articles is the real message that Carson and most of our elected officials want us to know: “It is not the government’s responsibility to fix this problem.”

Carson seems to weave this message in every time he speaks about the homelessness epidemic. And the actions clearly support that message, as the overall budget is net down since Trump took office. See 4 Reasons the Script on Ending Homelessness Needs to Be Rewritten.

Even the budget to care for our veterans remains flat. While we all want our troops to be removed from harm’s way, we seem to fall short when it comes to what happens to them when they come home. Many of them end up on the streets due to untreated mental illness, including…