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In a pre-holiday press release, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made the announcement homelessness in the United States reached a record value.
This troubling milestone is yet another addition to the bleak legacy of the Biden administration, California Governor Gavin Newsom and sanctuary cities, with progressive blue states seeing the biggest increases and costing Americans millions each year, adding to an already out-of-control debt ceiling.
We know that no one chooses to be homeless, and we know that no one in America deserves to be homeless, but are these progressive blue states spiraling out of control because of incredibly bad policies?
A homeless man walks through a skid row in Los Angeles on December 12, 2022. (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)
According to HUD’s annual point-in-time survey, homelessness is expected to increase by 18% in 2023 and has increased by 36% since 2019. More than 770,000 individuals in our country are experiencing homelessness in shelters, public spaces or other state-supported housing during the past year. However, the report sidesteps any direct responsibility for federal or state policies, instead attributing the crisis to broader social and economic factors.
The growth of homelessness
A comparison of homelessness growth between the leading red and blue states highlights the stark differences in how those states have dealt with the crisis.
Between 2019 and 2024, the number of homeless people in California will increase by nearly 36,000 people, a 23.6% increase. New York grew by nearly 66,000 (71.5%), and Illinois by more than 15,000 (153%). In contrast, the number of homeless people in Texas increased by just over 2,000 (8.2%), and in Florida by about 3,000 (10.7%).
Progressive states like California and New York show dramatically higher increases in homelessness, while red states like Texas and Florida have managed to limit their growth despite facing similar economic and migration pressures. Why?
Blame shifting
HUD’s report identifies several contributing factors, including a national affordable housing crisis, rising inflation and stagnant wages for middle- and lower-income households. Does anyone even mention how cities like San Francisco have seen their homeless populations skyrocket while tech companies have gotten rich in “The City”. There was literally an app called SnapCrap developed for San Francisco because of so much public poop on the street. This city is a cornerstone of progressive policies and loves the concept of socialism.
HUD also cites systemic racism, public health crises, and natural disasters as root drivers of homelessness. Well, could there be a state with more natural disasters than Florida?
What is interesting is that Texas and Florida both are states that do not have a state income tax. At the opposite end of the spectrum, New York, California and Illinois are the three states with the highest state income taxes. Blue states will point to the expiration of pandemic-era welfare programs, such as expanded child tax credits and a moratorium on evictions for their problems. What they won’t point out is their bad tax and spending policies that have dramatically increased the cost of living and driven employers out of their states who then do business in other states.
The cost of caring for one homeless person
Another striking factor is the cost of government programs aimed at addressing homelessness. Blue states tend to spend significantly more per homeless person compared to red states, often with less effective results. In California, they spend nearly four times more per homeless person compared to Texas – $45,000 versus 12,000 percent. New York spends $38,000 and Florida $14,500.
Despite much higher spending, blue states are experiencing a sharp increase in the number of homeless people, which proves the inefficiency of resource allocation and the consequences of bad political decisions. In comparison, Florida and Texas invest in more targeted programs like addiction treatment and transitional housing, which in my opinion produce better long-term results.
Migration and bad governance
Blue states will mostly blame the large influx of large-scale migration for the increase in the number of homeless people. They will say that it happened because the red states transported migrants to their territories. Those cities never admit that they declared themselves cities of refuge or acknowledge the policies that prevented them from more effectively accommodating this population and led to this widespread mismanagement of homelessness.
What is one reason? Housing begins. Higher housing costs, stricter zoning and environmental regulations in advanced countries have directly limited housing supply and raised prices. Over the past year, Texas issued more than 230,000 residential building permits, and Florida more than 190,000. California, New York and Illinois issued 117,760, 48,807 and 16,863 respectively.
Blue state leadership will say they need more affordable housing (or housing period), but housing starts suggest otherwise.
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Ignoring root causes
The “housing first” approach advocated by blue states has failed to yield significant results. HUD allocates $72 billion annually – primarily for affordable housing – and states like California are spending billions more on similar initiatives. Over the past five years, California alone has spent $24 billion to fight homelessness, but the crisis has worsened. Even with federal waivers that allow California to use Medicaid funds for housing, the state has seen addiction rehab centers close due to insufficient state reimbursements.
A more pragmatic approach
Red states like Florida and Texas have adopted more effective strategies. These states use legal measures such as drug possession and public order prosecutions to encourage addicts and people with mental illness to seek treatment as an alternative to incarceration. This approach is both practical and compassionate, ensuring that vulnerable populations receive help while keeping public spaces safe.
Progressive policies, in contrast, often prioritize expanding housing subsidies without addressing behavioral health issues. This preference ultimately leaves many homeless people fending for themselves on the streets—a stark contrast to more structured interventions in states like Florida and Texas.
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How do we move forward?
America’s homelessness crisis highlights the failures of progressive governance to address complex social issues. No one in this country should be homeless. Nobody. Adopting more balanced approaches such as those in Florida and Texasblue state leadership could better address the root causes of homelessness and provide lasting solutions for its most vulnerable residents.
Let’s go get a roof over everyone’s head. It all starts with leadership!
