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.
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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.”
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“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.
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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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The winning formula for Texas baseball against Oregon in the opening game of the Austin Super Regional seemed relatively simple: perform on the mound, create traffic on the bases and control the game. If the Longhorns could avoid a slow start and Dylan Volantis kept sharp, they could trust the Ducks’ aggressive approach at the plate would eventually work against them.
Well, Texas did that. More or less.
Volantis turned in one of the more unusual starts of his season, setting a career high in wild pitches while walking four and allowing eight hits. But he also struck out 10 batters and stranded 10 Oregon runners through 5 1/3 innings.
That proved to be more than enough for the Longhorns to take advantage of an Oregon pitching staff that simply could not stop handing out free passes.
Texas effectively outlasted the Ducks on Saturday night, scoring 11 runs on just eight hits to claim Game 1 of the Austin Super Regional and move one win away from its first College World Series berth since 2022.
“I think both teams had one opportunity, and the difference in the game was we got some pitches up and put some balls in play to score runners with third base and less than two outs, and they didn’t,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “You can give credit to Dylan mainly for that, making pitches when he had to make them.”
Texas Delivers While Oregon Repeatedly Comes Up Empty
While Volantis did not have his sharpest outing of the season, he delivered when it mattered most.
Oregon put runners on base in every inning Volantis pitched and stranded 10 runners through the first five frames. The sophomore left-hander battled command issues, uncorked a career-high number of wild pitches and frequently worked in and out of trouble. Yet time and time again, he escaped.
The Ducks threatened in the first inning, putting runners on the corners before Volantis struck out Brayden Jaksa to escape the jam. It was not the last time Oregon would leave runners in scoring position, as the Ducks finished the night 0-for-14 with RISP.
And despite giving Volantis trouble, Oregon repeatedly came away empty-handed.
Texas could not say the same.
The Longhorns got things going in the first inning, when Adrian Rodriguez ripped a two-run double into the left-center gap to score both Aiden Robbins and Anthony Pack Jr. to give the Longhorns an early lead. One inning later, Casey Borba launched an opposite-field home run — his 18th of the year — before Dariyan Pendergrass scored on a Robbins sacrifice fly after drawing a walk and stealing two bases.
And while Texas took advantage of every scoring opportunity, Oregon continuously left the door open.
With the bases loaded and one out in the third inning, Volantis once again slammed the door on Oregon’s scoring chance by striking out Jaksa and inducing a groundout to end the inning. In the fourth, Oregon put runners on second and third with nobody out before Volantis struck out the next two batters and recorded another groundout to complete the escape act.
After Volantis exited in the sixth with the bases loaded and one out, Thomas Burns struck out his first batter before issuing back-to-back two-out walks that cut the Texas lead to 8-2. But Luke Harrison, an expected Game 2 starter, entered and struck out Blake Mabeus to strand the bases loaded.
“Super cool to see Luke Harrison come into that situation and just do the job,” Volantis said. “He’s the most trustworthy guy you could ask for; whatever you ask of him, he’s going to do it.”
In the bottom half of the inning, Rodriguez delivered another RBI on a sacrifice fly before Ethan Mendoza launched a two-run homer to left-center field. Rodriguez finished the night with a career-high five RBI.
Harrison worked another scoreless inning before Brody Walls closed out the final two frames, allowing just one run on a solo homer in the eighth.
The Longhorns and Ducks will meet again Sunday night, with Texas now just one win away from its first Men’s College World Series berth since 2022.
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A group of Northeast Texas Community College travelers recently returned from an unforgettable travel study experience in Washington, D.C., where they spent several days exploring the history, government, and culture of the nation’s capital.
The trip provided participants with a unique opportunity to experience many of the places and institutions they have studied and read about over the years. Highlights included a guided tour of the U.S. Capitol led by a member of Congressman Nathaniel Moran’s staff, a tour of the White House, and visits to several Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History.
The group also visited some of America’s most recognizable landmarks and historic sites, including the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. Along the way, travelers gained practical experience navigating the city by mastering the D.C. Metro system and exploring the capital like locals.
“The trip was a great opportunity to connect classroom learning with real places, real institutions, and real history,” said Matt Homer, NTCC instructor and trip coordinator. “From government and politics to culture and historical preservation, participants were able to experience concepts they have studied in a much more meaningful way.”
In addition to the educational experiences, the trip offered plenty of opportunities for discussion, reflection, and fellowship among participants.
NTCC offers a travel study course each summer that allows students, employees, and community members to explore a different destination while earning college credit. For more information about future travel study opportunities, contact Matt Homer at thomer@ntcc.edu.
It’s time for another check-in for the latest mock drafts around the league. We’re seeing a lot of smoke screens out there, but with that smoke, is there some fire? Last time we did a roundup, it was chalk across the board with AJ Dybantsa to Washington, Darryn Peterson to Utah, Cam Boozer to Memphis, and Caleb Wilson to Chicago. Will it be the same with this latest version? After a few weeks, there were some interesting changes.
It’s a pretty huge change to have Cam Boozer go #1 in Ricky O’Donnell’s latest mock drat but I respect the willingness to go with what you feel. Personally, I feel like if I’m the Wizards or the Jazz, I would want a playmaking wing or guard with that top pick, which is what you have in Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa. Boozer does project to be a point-forward type in the NBA with his impressive skill set, but I’m not sure he’s the Jokic-level initiator that some are projecting.
It’s also the first change seeing Darryn Peterson go #1 in Salerno’s mock. Darryn Peterson was considered by many to be the #1 pick going into this season, but we all know about the struggles to stay healthy and the cramping. If the medicals look good, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go #1 given his elite talent.
Over at FanDuel, the odds have not switched. Currently, they have AJ Dybantsa with the best odds to go #1, followed by Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer.
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