West
Dems secure $600M in federal taxpayer funds to fight homelessness, but some are skeptical it will help
California Democratic senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler announced just over $600 million in federal dollars to curb the spiraling homelessness crisis in the state, as officials struggle to get a handle on the problem exacerbated by drug addiction and mental illness.
“As we continue our statewide count of people experiencing homelessness, one thing remains clear: We need significantly more federal investment to address this humanitarian crisis,” Padilla said in a Jan. 29 statement.
Butler said in a statement the funds would be “especially important to our youth experiencing homelessness, including unaccompanied and pregnant or parenting youth who will now have more access to programs aimed at preventing homelessness.”
The funding is part of a $3.16 billion investment from the Biden administration to support nonprofit organizations, housing authorities and local governments struggling to reduce homelessness nationwide.
NEWSOM SENDING 120 CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICERS TO OAKLAND TO CRACK DOWN ON ‘ALARMING’ CRIME SURGE
A tarp and trash belonging to homeless people encamped by the Tuolumne River in Modesto, Calif., Jan. 23, 2024. (Modesto Police Department)
Despite more taxpayer dollars at work, the homeless population continues to skyrocket in the Golden State. It’s up 6% compared to last year and boasts the highest number of homeless people living outdoors in the country. About 181,000 people were considered homeless in the state’s 2023 count, and most are suffering from drug addiction or mental illnesses.
According to a University of San Francisco study last year, 82% of homeless people statewide said they had a mental health condition or abused substances in their lifetime.
Chris Moore, a candidate for Alameda County supervisor and a board member with Bay Rental Housing Association, thinks the earmarked money “is good,” but that the state “isn’t using best practices.”
NEWSOM RECALLS SEEING BRAZEN THEFT, REFUSES PHOTO AND ASKS FOR MANAGER WHEN WORKER BLAMES HIM: LEAKED VIDEO
“And I think with more money, it’s great, but we need to start looking at best practices,” Moore told Fox News Digital. “And looking at what they’re doing there in Houston and start solving the problem rather than enabling the problem.”
Houston cut its homeless population by 64% over the last 12 years and 17% last year through collaboration between various organizations despite minimal financial investment. Texas has spent significantly less money on homelessness compared to California — $806 versus $10,786 per homeless person.
Homeless men on a sidewalk in San Francisco Sept. 2, 2023. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
California has dipped its toes in some of the country’s most controversial practices to confront its growing homelessness problem.
The state has spent roughly $20 billion on homelessness in the last five years since Gov. Gavin Newsom took office under what’s called the “housing first” solution. It’s the belief that homelessness is solved through first putting people in apartments, motels, hotels or “tiny homes,” rather than mandating rehabilitation for drug addiction or mental health treatment.
NEWSOM ADMIN DELIVERS TEPID RESPONSE TO SPIRALING PROSTITUTION, PIMPS CONTROLLING CALIFORNIA NEIGHBORHOODS
Some say this strategy doesn’t work, as most government-run housing programs don’t require “wraparound” services, a holistic care model that includes drug rehabilitation and mental illness treatment.
Instead, the “harm reduction” model has been adopted by the state’s Department of Health, which focuses on reducing the consequences of drug use through offering clean syringes, naxolone and other materials to “meet people where they’re at” and make drug use “safer.”
Rev. Andy Bales, the former CEO of Union Rescue Mission, one of Los Angeles’ largest faith-based nonprofit organizations that does not rely on government funding, told Fox News Digital that more people will become homeless under the strategy.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
“Housing First, specifically with the Harm Reduction rules, which really translates to the free flow of hard drugs and alcohol, has been an utter failure,” Bales said. “And there’s a reason why we’ve made absolutely no progress after California has spent $22 billion in the last six years. And yet homelessness has skyrocketed.”
Bales retired in 2023 from the nonprofit after 20 years. He said he continues to study the state’s homeless policies and population trends.
“California alone represents 50% of all street homelessness because they have doubled down on the policy of housing first and harm reduction, and so if it continues to be spent, like it has been, we won’t see much positivity or improvement because it’s a failed policy,” he said. “There’s so much evidence to show that the numbers don’t lie.
“It’s a mistake to only fund one strategy,” he added. “You know, multiple strategies could make a difference.”
Homeless housing programs that use this approach can be identified through the National Harm Reduction Coalition’s interactive map.
“Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use,” the National Harm Reduction Coalition website states. “Harm eduction is also a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs.”
Newsom is facing pressure by voters to curtail the issue at its root. In March, residents will vote on Newsom’s proposed $6.4 billion bond aimed at adding approximately 25,000 psychiatric and addiction treatment beds across California, a move aimed to be a “course corrective” action from when California dumped thousands of people from psychiatric centers onto the streets.
“There was a righteousness in the 60s, with Democrats and Republicans saying, ‘We have to move away from these locked institutions,’” Newsom said last year before signing several mental health bills. “We were supposed to replicate that with community-based care, and there was no accountability — there was no obligation either way.”
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San Francisco, CA
Highway 1 closure in San Francisco expected to snarl Sunset traffic all weekend
San Francisco drivers may soon experience even worse traffic than they did last weekend when a part of Interstate 80 shut down. This weekend, Highway 1 northbound from Sloat to Lincoln in the Sunset District will be closed starting Friday morning.
Muriel Scala has lived on 19th Avenue for over 20 years. She’s lost count of the endless construction projects in front of her home.
“It’s like having a mini earthquake every day in your house,” Scala said.
Scala is not looking forward to CalTrans repaving 19th Avenue. Starting at 7 a.m. Friday, the northbound lanes will be closed until Monday, with two additional closures over the next month to fix all 6 lanes of Highway 1.
“I’m frustrated because I don’t see an end result,” she said. “It keeps happening.”
Some other neighbors on 19th Avenue shared the same frustrations.
“It’s the price I pay to live on 19th Avenue, honestly,” Bailey Zuk said.
Zuk is worried about the parking and traffic. She has made plans to take public transportation all weekend. She doesn’t like the disruption and noise but knows 19th Avenue has to be fixed.
“Which is obviously really needed, like there are so many potholes,” Zuk said. “I drive up and down 19th Avenue every day and there’s so many potholes already.”
Some of the businesses along the main business corridor on Irving Street say they didn’t know that the closure was even happening. Jet Seeto with The Mochi Donut Shop just heard about it yesterday.
“We are the little guy in this area,” Seetos said. “We need to accept it and prepare ourselves.”
Seeto says she’s preparing to drum up more business by doing online orders, even offering delivery if people are reluctant to drive. She’s trying to stay positive about the 19th Avenue closure.
“It is what it is because it affects anyway,” Seeto said. “If I think I worry too much, it doesn’t help me.”
And residents say they will do the same.. as they brace themselves for 3 weekends of road work.
“It’s not going to stop doing what I need to do,” Scala said. “I’m going to keep doing it.”
Denver, CO
Wolves Back Up the Big Talk With Blowout Win Over Denver in Game 3
“They’re all bad defenders.”
Jaden McDaniels called out Denver’s stars after Game 2, and the Wolves proved him right by bulldozing the Nuggets 113-96 in Game 3 Thursday night in Minneapolis
Minnesota has taken control of the series with a 2-1 lead, and Game 4 is in Minneapolis on Saturday night. With another win, the Wolves would lead the series 3-1 and put the Nuggets in a must-win situation entering Game 5 on Monday in Denver.
The Wolves attacked the paint and made Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and anyone else McDaniels trash-talked after Game 2, from start to finish. Minnesota held Denver to a season low 11 points in the first quarter, built a 61-39 lead at the half, and led by as many as 27 points in the second half.
The damage was done despite Anthony Edwards battling foul trouble, scoring only 17 points in 24 minutes. Julius Randle also struggled to score, finishing with 15 points on 6-for-15 shooting. Naz Reid had just five points in 17 minutes off the bench.
So who killed Denver? The others.
Ayo Dosunmu was a beast with 25 points off the bench, most of his damage coming in transition or simply blowing by Denver’s defense for layups in the half-court.
McDaniels was a monster, capping his big night with a three-pointer and then a monster jam in traffic late in the fourth quarter to put an exclamation point on the blowout. He finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, knocking down 9 of 13 shots, all while playing relentless defense. Prime Video analyst and NBA Hall of Fame inductee Dwyane Wade said McDaniels’ defense was so tight that it was like he was wearing Murray’s jersey.
The Wolves scored 68 points in the paint, compared to 34 for the Nuggets.
Rudy Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo were also great. Gobert finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. DiVincenzo had 15 points, seven assists, and four steals.
Jokic couldn’t buy a bucket, largely because Gobert, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year, dominated him. The three-time MVP finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds, but he shot just 7 of 26 from the field.
Murray also struggled, scoring 16 points on 5-for-17 shooting.
The Nuggets shot 34.1%, their worst shooting game of the entire season.
Up next: Game 4, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.
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Seattle, WA
‘Rare’ Tiny-Home Compound Featuring 3 Adorable Abodes Hits the Market in Seattle for Just $900K
A unique collection of tiny homes built across a single lot in Seattle has just hit the market for the bargain price of $900,000. That boils down to just $300,000 per home.
Located on the outskirts of Puget Park, the properties have been meticulously restored in recent years, having previously been used as accommodation for staff at a nearby industrial estate.
“When the sellers bought the property, they were three little huts that were falling apart,” says listing agent Patti Hill of John L. Scott–West Seattle.
“They were used as workers’ homes. The sellers rebuilt them between 2021 and 2023, and now they are way cool.”
Originally constructed in 1907 in the gated Industrial District West, the multifamily cedar-sided cottages have come a long way from the crumbling structures that the sellers found in 2015, when they purchased the property for just $60,000.
Today, the three dwellings boasts modernized spaces with loft-style interiors and a world of opportunity for their future use.
Each Pigeon Point residence offers one bedroom, one bathroom, and a kitchen space, meaning that they can operate as entirely independent properties.
Hardwood and concrete floors, exposed beams, sleek kitchens and bathrooms, skylights, and energy-efficient thermal windows can be found throughout the interiors. Each tiny home also has a private deck.
For the past few years, the compound has operated as a kind of micro-neighborhood, with each dwelling serving as a private residence for a long-term renter.
“The sellers have long-term renters using them,” Hill explains. “I think the next buyer will probably be an investor who will keep it as a rental property. It could also be someone looking to live in one of the cottages as a primary residence and rent the other two out.”
Alternatively, the compound would be a unique multigenerational abode. Or if a group of friends are looking to get onto the property ladder for a lower price, it could be turned into a kind of modern commune.
“An ideal setup for investors, owner-users, or anyone looking for a unique multi-home property in a prime Seattle location,” the listing notes.
Located on just one fully fenced-in lot, the triplex community is centered around a patio, offering a “shared community vibe,” while also maintaining the privacy of each resident.
“All of the residents get along, and there is a fire pit that everyone uses,” Hill says.
What’s more, because the homes all occupy a single lot, the taxes are incredibly low. Records show that 2025 fees were just $8,106 for all three properties.
“It’s one lot. We didn’t split the lot, so it’s one tax parcel,” the listing agent confirms.
Almost as intriguing as the three detached cottage assemblage is the compound’s unusual site.
“It’s an interesting location that is very industrial,” Hill reveals. “There is a working waterway a block away where ships come in and load containers.”
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Kellie Speed is a contributor to Realtor.com. As a writer and editor, she has worked for a variety of online and print publications, including Forbes Global Properties, Inked magazine, JustLuxe, and U.S. Veterans Magazine. A Massachusetts native, Kellie attended Northeastern University for journalism, was previously the Boston editor for Haute Living, and contributed to the Moon Metro Boston guidebook. Kellie writes celebrity profiles and covers restaurants, travel, and lifestyle.
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