By MICHAEL CASEY, R.J. RICO and CHARLOTTE KRAMON Associated Press
The World Cup is offering the 16 host cities a chance to take action against one of the biggest problems they face — homelessness. Some, like Atlanta and Dallas, have embarked on ambitious plans to house people living on their downtown streets. But a survey by The Associated Press found most host cities are relying on existing services — without any fresh funding — to address homelessness. Advocates worry some cities will rely on a strategy of temporarily removing the homeless from areas where fans gather and games are played, rather than providing them with long-term housing. Such tactics have been seen in the past at large sports and political events worldwide.
Across California, homeless shelters have become the foundation of taxpayer-funded efforts to get people off the street. A CalMatters investigation found that shelters have instead become housing purgatory. They're often dangerous, chaotic and ultimately ineffective at finding people lasting housing. To understand what's happening inside shelters, CalMatters obtained previously unreleased state performance data, reviewed thousands of police calls and incident reports and interviewed more than 80 shelter residents and personnel. Some key findings include that state and local agencies have spent roughly $1 billion on shelters since 2018, that shelters have a deluge of issues and are deadlier than jails, and that fewer than one in four people who cycle through move into a permanent home.
California has filed a lawsuit against a Los Angeles suburb over the city's recent moratorium on homeless shelters and temporary housing. In the lawsuit filed Monday, the state argues that Norwalk violates half dozen housing laws by enacting the temporary ban. City officials in a recent statement defended the moratorium and said it's essential to address public safety concerns. The state attorney general is asking the court to repeal the city's law. The lawsuit is part of an ongoing efforts by Gov. Gavin Newsom to push back on what he sees as local resistance and defiance of state laws.
The Supreme Court's decision granting cities more power to ban sleeping outside will test a problematic shelter system in California. Public records obtained by CalMatters show that most municipalities haven't adhered to a recent state law aimed at reforming dangerous conditions in shelters. The state Legislature created a new system in 2021 requiring local governments to inspect facilities after complaints and file annual reports on conditions. CalMatters found that just five counties and four cities filed reports. That's according to records from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The law's author is Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva. She says it's shocking there's so little reporting and she has requested a meeting with state housing officials.
