The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, is being criticized for saying California is a “national model” for tackling homelessness and helping those with mental illness in a viral video. 

The video was taken from the governor’s official YouTube channel while streaming a live press conference. It went viral on social media, and critics took hold of it and slammed the governor for promoting California in such a manner when the state has one of the most homeless people. 

During the press conference on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, the governor of California highlighted the state’s efforts to address homelessness and mental illness. 

Newsom and some other state leaders were present at the conference. The governor said that the state has seen a decline in veteran homelessness. He addressed California as a “national model” regarding that development. 

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To address the issue of homelessness and mental illness in California, in March 2024, Newsom approved more than $6 billion to build treatment beds and houses for people suffering from mental illness. 

On X, the governor posted that he had passed Proposition 1. He said this was a huge victory for California in tackling homelessness and announced that this was the biggest change California has seen in decades. 

Before Proposition 1 was passed, it was put forward to voters. The outcome of the total votes was 50.2% to 49.8%. This is a very narrow margin, as many seem not to be in favor of this proposition. 

Following the voting process that lasted for 15 days, the yes on the Proposition 1 campaign gained about $21 million, while the opposition groups didn’t spend anything close to those in favor. 

People on social media seem not to like Newsom’s statement, which was criticized by some X users. One user said the governor is delusional for calling California a “national model” for homelessness. 

According to the user, Paul Szypula, Governor Gavin Newsom is delusional because California has the highest number of homeless population. The user mentioned that California’s homelessness rate is about 75% higher than that of the next state, New York. 

Another social media user on X slammed Newsom for bragging about the progress of his efforts against homelessness in the state. The user said the state has a bad track record on homelessness compared to other states in the country. 

Out of curiosity, the user asked if Newsom ever told the truth. The user claims California is home to most homeless individuals in the United States. 

The governor of California is accused of not accounting for how much he spends on homelessness programs by conservative radio host Dana Loesch.

Loesch said that Newsom runs a 45b+ dollar deficit and loses $24b on untracked homeless programs. “Like I said the other day, this IS the Dem model for the nation. Cut this ad GOP. Do something,” Loesch wrote.

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According to a state audit study, the Los Angeles Times reported in April 2024 that California has not kept a close eye on how much it has spent on programs for the homeless.

Billions of dollars have been spent by California on the state’s homelessness problem, leading some critics to question whether or not the program is even effective.

The critics wonder if Newsom is working on the issue of homelessness in California as claimed. They criticized the governor for failing to be transparent with the state’s spending efforts. 

According to Republican Assembly member Josh Hoover, the lack of transparency in the current approach to homelessness in California is somehow worrisome. 

Despite the governor’s efforts against homelessness in California state, critics still seem not to be impressed as the current state of homelessness in California is labeled worst. 

Buzz Patterson, a writer for RedState, said that homelessness is the worst it has ever been in California. The writer further said that the governor’s plan is never working. Another writer for RedState said that the governor has been in power for two decades and hasn’t done anything impressive. 

Reports have suggested that California accounts for 30% of total homelessness in the United States. According to University of California research on homelessness, despite California having 12% of the total US population, it makes up half of all of the nation’s homeless people without a place to live.

Also, in March 2024, The Public Policy Institute of California found that the state’s homelessness problem had risen by 6%.

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The University of California report looked at the connection between homelessness and mental illness as well.

According to the study’s results, 82% of the participants mentioned experiencing a major mental health illness at some point in their lives. A quarter of the participants reported that they had been admitted to the hospital because of a mental health issue. Of those surveyed, two-thirds said they had used illegal drugs for a long time.

The issue of homelessness in California has been a longstanding issue, and it’s an obvious problem that critics are concerned about. California state records the highest number of homeless and mental illness. 

This issue has been in existence for decades. Despite the state’s efforts to eradicate it, critics still feel like they are not doing enough as people continue to remain homeless in the state. 

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