Part 11/13:
The long-standing Santa Monica program, in existence since 2006, has reunited just over 3,200 individuals in nearly two decades—an average of fewer than 200 per year. Given California’s vast homeless population, these numbers are insignificant.
Meanwhile, the state’s approach remains reactive rather than preventative, rooted in policies that often enable addiction and mental illness rather than confront them. The irony lies in how the state spends billions on programs that either don’t cost-effectively deliver results or focus on superficial solutions like robotic street patrols or flights out of state.