SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California spent $24 billion to tackle homelessness over the past five years but didn’t consistently track whether the spending actually helped alleviate the problem, according to state audit released Tuesday.
in the U.S. Despite the roughly $24 billion spent on homeless and housing programs during the 2018-2023 fiscal years, the problem didn’t improve in many cities, according to state auditor's report that attempts to assess how effective the spending has been. The report notes that some data regarding the number of program participants and bed inventory in the state system might not be accurate or reliable.
Without reliable and recent data on its spending, “the state will continue to lack complete and timely information about the ongoing costs and associated outcomes of its homelessness programs,” the audit contends.