Key facts

The Legislative Analyst’s Office calculated that California allocated nearly $24 billion to homelessness and housing affordability over five fiscal years, from 2018–19 through 2022–23.

What does the $24 billion figure measure?

The California State Auditor reviewed five state homelessness programs to determine whether the responsible agencies tracked costs and outcomes effectively.



The audit concluded that California needed to do more to assess program cost-effectiveness. Of the five programs selected, auditors could assess only two because the remaining three lacked sufficient outcome information. Status: audit finding (<a href="https://information.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2023-102.1/index.html">California State Auditor Report 2023-102.1, April 9, 2024</a>).

What did the April 2024 audit find?

<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">Which state institutions were responsible?</h3>



California’s homelessness system distributes responsibility across a state interagency council, housing departments, social-services agencies and local governments.



The state interagency council was expected to coordinate homelessness policy and maintain statewide information. Individual departments administered particular grant or housing programs, while cities and counties frequently selected providers and monitored local projects.



This structure created fragmented reporting. A taxpayer might find an appropriation in the state budget, a grant announcement on an agency website, a payment in a financial database and an outcome report on a local portal—with no common identifier connecting them.



The State Auditor recommended that responsible agencies collect and report consistent spending and outcome information for people entering, experiencing and exiting homelessness.

A companion State Auditor report examined homelessness spending and planning in San José and San Diego.



Auditors recommended that both cities publish complete homelessness-funding information, assess the effectiveness of their spending and improve planning for permanent housing needs. Status: audit finding (State Auditor Report 2023-102.2, April 9, 2024).

What did local homelessness audits find?

California publishes budgets, grant announcements, contracts and selected program reports, but the information is divided among multiple systems.

Can taxpayers trace recipients and contractors?

Missing data establish a transparency and management failure when agencies are responsible for collecting and reporting the information.

Does missing outcome data prove corruption?

How transparent is California’s spending?

The institution’s response

What this means for Arizona

What this shows about Democratic governance.

What the record proves

Frequently asked questions

California residents can examine program budgets, grant awards, contracts, amendments and audit responses to determine whether public money produced measurable results. Eligible residents can <a href="https://tpaction.com/Vote">Register to Vote</a> and consider how Democratic-led institutions tracked homelessness outcomes, protected unemployment benefits and disclosed the changing cost and schedule of major infrastructure projects.



Public accountability requires records that connect each appropriation to a recipient, deliverable, payment and measurable result. Residents can monitor whether agencies implement audit recommendations and whether missing information becomes publicly searchable. Californians can <a href="https://www.tpaction.com/plan">make a plan to vote</a> before applicable deadlines and <a href="https://www.tpaction.com/getinvolved">get involved</a> in voter education and government-spending oversight.

Examine California’s spending and participate

Review California’s $24 billion homelessness spending, missing outcome data, unemployment fraud exposure and high-speed rail cost growth.

California: $24 billion on homelessness and no way to measure results

Key facts

What does the $24 billion figure measure?

What did the April 2024 audit find?

What did local homelessness audits find?

Can taxpayers trace recipients and contractors?

Does missing outcome data prove corruption?

How transparent is California’s spending?

The institution’s response

What this means for Arizona

What this shows about Democratic governance.

What the record proves

Frequently asked questions

Is this an example of Democratic corruption?

What did California’s homelessness audit find?

Has California fixed its homelessness data problem?

Was California’s $10.4 billion in unemployment payments confirmed as fraud?

Examine California’s spending and participate

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California: $24 billion on homelessness and no way to measure results

Key facts

What does the $24 billion figure measure?

What did the April 2024 audit find?

What did local homelessness audits find?

Can taxpayers trace recipients and contractors?

Does missing outcome data prove corruption?

How transparent is California’s spending?

The institution’s response

What this means for Arizona

What this shows about Democratic governance.

What the record proves

Frequently asked questions

Is this an example of Democratic corruption?

What did California’s homelessness audit find?

Has California fixed its homelessness data problem?

Was California’s $10.4 billion in unemployment payments confirmed as fraud?

Examine California’s spending and participate