Newsom Claims Victory While Homelessness Surges 26%

Governor Gavin Newsom took to social media this week to declare victory on homelessness, claiming “the housing strategies we’ve put in place are working.” There’s just one problem: the numbers say otherwise.

G

Governor Gavin Newsom

@CAgovernor

I made homelessness a top priority in 2019 with my eyes wide open — knowing we had to take on a broken system that was failing far too many people. The housing strategies we've put in place are working, and they're turning this crisis around. We won't stop until the job is done.

Jan 11, 2026

5.3K 576 3.4K 566.4K

The Governor’s claim? “Unsheltered homelessness is down 9%.” The actual data? California’s total homeless population has exploded from 151,000 in 2019 to 191,000 in 2024—a staggering 26% increase during his tenure.

T Wolf, a recovery advocate and former homeless individual who now directs city partnerships for Sunflower Sober, delivered a devastating rebuttal with just two numbers:

Archived tweet

2019: 151k homeless in California. 2024: 191k homeless in California. I rest my case. https://t.co/NKLa2dbOeO

T Wolf 🌁 @Twolfrecovery January 13, 2026

This isn’t just about statistics. It’s about a policy framework that’s fundamentally broken. California’s Housing First mandate—enshrined in the 2016 Welfare and Institutions Code § 8255—legally prohibits requiring sobriety as a condition for publicly funded housing. Translation: you can’t have publicly funded sober or recovery housing. The system literally mandates that drug use be permitted in taxpayer-funded facilities.

The spending numbers are equally damning. San Francisco alone has poured $2.5 billion into homelessness programs while homelessness increased by 50%. The city’s annual budget for homelessness has ballooned 5x in recent years, now exceeding $1 billion. Where is that money going? Because it sure isn’t solving the problem.

Meanwhile, California leads the nation in the wrong categories: highest unemployment rate, highest homeless population, highest median housing prices, and some of the highest gas and electricity prices in the country.

When politicians cherry-pick statistics to claim success while the crisis worsens year after year, it’s not leadership—it’s gaslighting. The 40,000 additional Californians who became homeless under Newsom’s watch deserve better than spin.

Follow @garrytan for more.