A striking contrast emerged during a recent gubernatorial debate in California. While every Democratic candidate vying to succeed Governor Newsom offered him a grade of “B-minus” or higher on his handling of the state’s homelessness crisis, Republican contenders vehemently disagreed, branding the assessment as utterly unrealistic.
Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host and Republican candidate, didn’t hesitate to deliver a harsh judgment. He declared the situation an “F,” a shameful blight on the state, pointing to the staggering statistic that California, despite holding roughly 10% of the U.S. population, accounts for nearly 50% of the nation’s homeless individuals.
This stark disparity forced the Democratic candidates to defend Newsom’s record, a delicate position given his lack of endorsement in the race. The debate underscored the immense challenge of addressing a crisis that has demonstrably worsened despite the injection of billions of dollars in funding.
Katie Porter, a former congresswoman, acknowledged the difficulty of the issue, offering a “B” grade. She credited Newsom with at least bringing the problem into focus, while recognizing the complexities involved in finding solutions.
Billionaire businessman Tom Steyer echoed this sentiment, assigning a “B-minus.” Xavier Becerra, a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, went further, arguing the grade was too low, emphasizing Newsom’s visible efforts, including personally participating in street cleanups and giving him an “A” for effort.
The numbers paint a grim picture. California reported 161,400 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in 2024 – a significant increase from the 108,400 recorded when Newsom took office in January 2019. This represents a 32% surge in the homeless population over just five years.
Despite a massive investment of approximately $20 billion in homeless initiatives between 2019 and 2025, the crisis persists. The sheer scale of the problem has seemingly overwhelmed efforts to make substantial progress.
The issue has even spilled into national political discourse. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis famously highlighted the severity of the situation during a 2023 debate, presenting a map of San Francisco detailing over 270,000 reported instances of human waste on city streets – a visual that quickly gained notoriety online.
Republican candidate Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff, offered a particularly blunt assessment. He dismissed the notion that the crisis is about a lack of housing, arguing instead that it’s fundamentally a problem of drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness, and labeled the current approach a “dismal failure.”
California’s primary election is scheduled for June 2nd, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election on November 3rd. The debate over homelessness, and how to address it, will undoubtedly remain a central theme throughout the campaign.
