It has been 22 years since California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), then mayor of San Francisco, took office with grandiose promises to combat homelessness. Since then, California has spiraled further into crisis. As Newsom prepares to leave behind a legacy of failed promises, the Golden State, once a beacon of opportunity, has now morphed into a “Sapphire State”—an almost unrecognizable blue bastion plagued by its own governmental failures. What was meant to be an aggressive, 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness has instead led to a dramatic rise in the homeless population, with no sign of any real progress.
In 2003, Newsom, fresh from his victory in the San Francisco mayoral election, declared that he would make homelessness his top priority, aggressively pursuing a "tens of millions of federal dollars" to fund 550 “supportive housing” units. His 10-year strategy was supposed to be a turning point for the city, an opportunity to show that the left could indeed solve the very problems they claimed were emblematic of capitalist failures. But as we mark the 22nd anniversary of his tenure today, the problem is far worse than it was in 2003.
Homelessness in San Francisco has become so entrenched that it now stands as a central issue in California’s political discourse. Recent reports have only underscored the failure of Newsom’s policies. A 2022 study from the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) revealed that California is home to 30 percent of the nation's homeless population. And, perhaps more tellingly, the state is now the epicenter for unsheltered homelessness, with over 115,000 individuals living without a roof over their heads in 2022—more than half of the total unsheltered homeless population in the U.S.
While Newsom's rhetoric has remained bold, the action has been far more scarce. His 2017 gubernatorial campaign included a pledge to "lead the effort to develop the 3.5 million new housing units we need by 2025." He promised that building those units was "achievable," but his vision, as is so often the case with leftist policies, has proven detached from reality. The goal, which he touted as ambitious but possible, now stands as another empty promise in a growing pile of unfulfilled political commitments.
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Despite claims that California has spent $20 billion on homelessness programs over the past five years, the results speak for themselves: California’s unsheltered population has only grown, while other states have seen improvements, even as their own homeless populations rise. The same PPIC report from February 2025 found that, since 2020, California’s overall homeless population had increased by six percent, while the rest of the nation saw a modest rise of just 0.4 percent. And unlike other regions, California’s sheltered population declined, with a mere 17 percent increase in those who were housed, primarily through temporary shelters.
Newsom’s approach has been described as a patchwork of bureaucratic initiatives, unable to solve the root cause of homelessness in California. From his early days as mayor of San Francisco to his tenure as governor, his administration has failed to produce the bold and practical solutions needed to address the issue. While the rest of the country has slowly taken steps to manage its homeless populations, Newsom’s California has continued its downward spiral into chaos. It is no wonder that he was mocked earlier this year when San Francisco, in a move that critics called “cosmetic,” cleared out homeless encampments ahead of the summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and former President Joe Biden. Newsom’s own words during that cleanup, claiming that efforts to "clean up" the city had been ongoing “for months and months,” were met with eye rolls from those who saw it as little more than a publicity stunt.
As Newsom gears up to end his term as governor, the problem of homelessness in California looms larger than ever. With unsheltered individuals filling the streets of major cities, from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and a state government that seems more interested in political theater than actual solutions, it’s clear that Newsom’s promises are little more than hollow words. His long-awaited plans have crumbled, and the reality is this: after 22 years of failure, it’s time for California voters to consider whether they want more of the same or a real change in leadership.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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