Newsom admits California has 'not made progress' on homelessness: 'We own this'
California Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses his state's homeless crisis compared to Florida in an exclusive interview with Sean Hannity.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted that his efforts to curb the state's spiraling homeless crisis have not produced any progress when pressed in an exclusive interview with Sean Hannity.
Newsom joined the Fox News host for a wide-ranging interview that will air Monday on the Fox News Channel. In a preview released Monday, Hannity pressed the California governor on his efforts to curb the spiraling homelessness as tent-lined streets riddled with crime and drug use have become commonplace.
Newsom blamed housing costs, regulatory thickets and pushback from locals for the lack of progress.
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference in Sacramento, California, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
"This state has not made progress in the last two decades as it relates to homelessness because housing costs are too high, our regulatory thickets are too problematic, localism has been too impactful – meaning people locally are pushing back against new housing starts and construction," Newsom said.
"I've been here four years. I can't make up for the fact that in 2005 we had a historic number of homeless under a Republican administration," he added.
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Hannity noted that California currently reports over 170,000 homeless individuals across the state, compared to Florida, which has a homeless population of roughly 26,000.
Homeless tents are seen near the City Hall of San Francisco on Aug. 29, 2022. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
"Similar weather, similar state. I've lived in both," the "Hannity" host said.
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Newsom called the number of homeless individuals in California "disgraceful."
"The dynamics are very different," he told Hannity. "That said, we own this, Sean. I'm not here defending this."
A woman appears to be defecating in a bus shelter in San Francisco, April 14, 2023. (Flight Risk for Fox News Digital)
California comprises 50% of the nation's unsheltered homeless population, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That amounts to 171,521 homeless residents. Additionally, one-third of the entire homeless population across the country live in California.
Newsom has long been an advocate of bolstering the state's social safety programs as a way to combat the crisis. He has embraced a Housing First policy that prioritized "low barrier" access to housing for those living on the streets and does not require residents to meet certain thresholds like sobriety or compliance with treatment services. Critics, frustrated with the lack of progress, argue Newsom is throwing money at a problem that requires fresh solutions while slamming his approach as entirely ineffective.
In March, Newsom reportedly asked the Biden administration to fund a "transitional rent" program using federal taxpayer dollars that would "provide up to six months of rent or temporary housing for low income enrollees who rely on the state's health care safety net," the Los Angeles Times reported.
A person sleeps on the streets of San Francisco, April 15, 2023. (Flight Risk for Fox News Digital)
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More recently, the state of California and the city and county of San Diego agreed to spend $157 million on purchasing hotels to house the homeless, which amounts to over $400,000 per unit.
Fox News' Bailee Hill contributed to this report.