Statement from Assemblyman Josh Hoover following Oversight Hearing on Homelessness

SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Josh Hoover (R-Folsom) released the following statement regarding today’s oversight hearing on homelessness in Assembly Budget Subcommittee 7 on Accountability and Oversight:

“Today’s oversight hearing shined a light on a very troubling reality. After spending $24 billion taxpayer dollars on homelessness, our lead agencies in California have no idea where the money has gone or how many people it has helped. This is a complete failure of leadership by Governor Newsom and it’s time for the Legislature to demand more accountability.

“When pressed, representatives from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) admitted they have no data to share on existing homelessness programs and investments. In fact, ICH claimed they would need even more money to implement transparency measures recommended by the State Auditor. This is completely unacceptable.”

Assemblyman Hoover has authored AB 2903 to require state-run homelessness programs to annually report cost and outcome data to ICH. It would also require ICH to develop uniform procedures for collecting the data and reporting it to the public. This implements the recommendation of the California State Auditor following the results of a recent audit requested by Assemblyman Hoover, which found that the state has failed to systemically track homelessness spending and is not adequately positioned to collect data and assess outcomes.

According to the Auditor’s report, California has spent nearly $24 billion taxpayer dollars since 2018 to solve our homelessness crisis. During that same period the state’s overall homeless population increased by 32 percent and half of the nation’s unsheltered homeless now live in California.

Josh Hoover represents Assembly District 7, which includes the cities of Citrus Heights, Folsom, and Rancho Cordova and the unincorporated communities of Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Foothill Farms, Gold River, Mather, McClellan Park, North Highlands, Orangevale, and Rosemont.

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