Newsom's homelessness council blames local governments for failing to track billions spent on crisis

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's hub for tackling nan homelessness situation shifted nan blasted to section municipalities aft a authorities audit study recovered nan assembly grounded to way really billions of dollars person been spent trying to tackle nan situation successful nan past 5 years. 

A elder spokesperson for nan California Interagency Council connected Homelessness (CICH), which coordinates bum programs crossed nan state, told Fox News Digital connected Wednesday nan audit's findings "highlight nan important advancement made successful caller years to reside homelessness astatine nan authorities level, including nan completion of a statewide appraisal of homelessness programs."

The spokesperson added local governments "are chiefly responsible for implementing these programs and collecting information connected outcomes that nan authorities tin usage to measure programme effectiveness."

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Homeless encampments statement nan streets successful Oakland, California connected Friday, March 15, 2024. The metropolis remains plagued by homelessness arsenic adjacent businesses adjacent their doors owed to information concerns. (DWS for Fox News Digital)

"The Council continues to amended its expertise to guarantee that payer dollars are spent judiciously and effectively, including by providing method support to section jurisdictions to thief align information standards and reporting," nan spokesperson said.

But nan authorities auditor recovered that 9 authorities agencies person collectively spent $24 cardinal successful authorities backing complete nan past 5 years administering astatine slightest 30 programs dedicated to tackling nan homelessness crisis, and said Newsom's bum assembly "is responsible for coordinating, developing, and evaluating nan efforts of these 9 agencies."

The state's independent audit, released Tuesday, noted CICH is required by rule to study its finances related to each state‑funded homelessness programs, but stopped doing truthful successful 2021.  

Over nan past 5 years, nan CICH didn’t consistently way whether nan money really improved nan situation, nan audit concluded. It besides grounded to cod and measure result information for these programs owed to nan deficiency of a accordant method.

In a missive to nan governor, nan authorities auditor wrote that "the authorities must do much to measure nan cost-effectiveness of its homelessness programs."

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Homeless encampments statement nan streets successful Oakland, California connected Friday, March 15, 2024. The metropolis remains plagued by homelessness arsenic adjacent businesses adjacent their doors owed to information concerns. (DWS for Fox News Digital)

Despite billions spent connected homelessness and lodging programs during nan 2018-2023 fiscal years, nan problem didn’t amended successful galore cities, according to nan authorities auditor's report. Since 2013, homelessness has jumped much than 53%. In 2023, nan authorities estimated astir 180,000 group successful nan authorities are homeless, which is much than anyplace other successful nan U.S.

"Further, it has not aligned its action scheme for addressing homelessness pinch its statutory goals, nor has it ensured that it collects accurate, complete, and comparable financial and result accusation from homelessness programs," according to nan state audit.

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Homelessness successful California nether Governor Gavin Newsom has accrued from 151,00 successful 2019 to 181,000 successful 2024. (Fox)

Some information regarding nan number of programme participants and furniture inventory successful nan authorities strategy mightiness not beryllium meticulous aliases reliable, nan audit found. 

The CICH was created successful 2017 to thief way nan state's homelessness data, but it has produced only 1 study connected bum spending since its inception.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.