A Modest Proposal: Give High-Speed Rail to Unhoused Californians

Combining Two Failed Golden State Projects Could Save Both. Right?

California is spending billions to house its increasing population of unhoused people. But it hasn’t come close to building enough to meet its ambitious goal of ending homelessness. And many Californians have lost hope that it ever will.

California is spending billions to construct a high-speed rail system. But it hasn’t come close to completing what would be the first such line in the nation. And many Californians have lost hope that it ever will.

In the face of these crises, what is to be done? One option would be to sit …

by Joe Mathews | November 7, 2023

What Do Unhoused People Want Most? Ask Them

Two Recent Studies Bridge the Gap Between Well-Intentioned Plans and What Those Experiencing Homelessness Actually Need

by Rob Eshman | October 17, 2022

Government officials, activists, academics, homeowners, and two very competitive mayoral candidates constantly explain what the over 69,144 unhoused people living in Los Angeles County need and want. But you know …

Stop Using Homelessness to Hate on California

A Tradition as Old as the State Itself Has Caused Lasting Damage

by Joe Mathews | June 28, 2022

In California, homelessness is a long-running crisis. And it is a human tragedy for an estimated 160,000 unhoused people.

But homelessness is also incredibly useful for anyone who wants to complain …

Why Won’t Policymakers Talk More About Drugs and Homelessness?

A Strict ‘Housing First’ Approach Oversimplifies the Complexity of a West Coast Epidemic

by Jim Hinch | May 23, 2022

More than half of America’s unsheltered population lives in just three states—California, Oregon, and Washington—and West Coast voters are demanding a response. Homelessness ranked as the top concern in a …

Let the People of California Solve the State’s Homelessness Crisis

A Citizens' Assembly Could Unify People Around a Thorny Problem and Succeed Where Politicians Have Failed

by Joe Mathews | February 22, 2022

Dear Governor Newsom,

You’ve made herculean efforts to address the complexities of California’s long-running homelessness crisis. So have other state, federal, and local officials around the Golden State.

But while you’ve all …

Where Would I Sleep on the Streets of Los Angeles?

Taking Part in the Annual Survey of Unhoused Angelenos Helps Connect Me to All the People in My Adopted Home

by Annabelle Gurwitch | February 21, 2022

If I were sleeping outside … where would I be?

We’d been invited to ask ourselves this question as we walked the streets in the dead of night, canvassing for strangers. …

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