Homelessness is Falling in California for the First Time in Years. Here’s What Changed
“You could probably spend about a third to keep somebody housed as opposed to what you would spend if they became unhoused and then they had to be rehoused,” Maceri explained. “If they have complex medical problems, the cost can go up substantially.”
Supportive housing with additional services
A second strategy adopted by California has focused on moving people into housing while pairing that housing with services intended to help them remain stably housed. More than 64,000 people in California are chronically homeless, with 71% of them living without a shelter, according to the latest HUD report.
“You offer them the opportunity to move indoors, and you wrap services around them, whether it’s medical treatment, mental health, substance use treatment,” Maceri said. “That is a far more effective strategy. People are more willing to say yes—they’re willing to come indoors.”
Anat Leonard-Wookey, vice president of programming and services at LifeMoves, a San Francisco-based housing nonprofit, said internal data showed that people experiencing homelessness who went through six or more sessions of behavioral therapy were twice as likely to move into permanent housing and to see an increase in income.
