A tropical disease common in the developing world is now spreading through Berkeley homeless encampments while courts block cleanup—the latest sign that legal paralysis is making California's homelessness crisis a literal public health emergency. Across the state, billions in spending are producing little: LA just spent $20 million converting a functioning homeless hotel into 32 units that remain empty four years later, at $625,000 per unit. Meanwhile, new data shows SF's collapse in drug enforcement coincided with overdose deaths tripling to 810 per year—and the nonprofits running taxpayer-funded housing are responding by teaching residents how to use drugs more safely.
Leptospirosis, common in underdeveloped countries, spread through Berkeley's Harrison encampment—and courts continued to prevent cleanup efforts.
Los Angeles emptied a building that was already housing people. Four years and $625,000 per unit later, it still houses nobody.
BART knew about the encampment, had legal authority to clear it, and asked Oakland nicely. Then it burned.
Drug arrests collapsed to zero. Overdose deaths tripled to 810 per year. The data is in, and so is the body count.
162 people have died of overdoses in their buildings since 2020. Their solution? Help the residents use drugs.
San Francisco's two most 'progressive' supervisors were the only no votes on Mayor Lurie's shelter for drug users. The body count speaks for itself.
A Seattle frontline worker exposes what we all see in the encampments—and why California banned the cure.
$30 billion stolen in unemployment fraud alone. California's gubernatorial candidate says fix it before raising taxes.
San Jose's mayor has cut homelessness 25% while Sacramento lets good policies die in bureaucracy. He's running for governor.
Dean Preston championed Providence Foundation as a model partnership. Now two employees face fraud charges.