Audit: California Lost Track of $24 Billion Spent to Combat Homelessness

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) administration lost track of the $24 billion in taxpayer funds it spent over the past five years in an attempt to curb the state’s homelessness crisis, an audit has found.

The California State Auditor’s report, released on April 9, detailed multiple “gaps” in accountability in regards to how the money was allocated during the 2018-2023 fiscal years. Lead auditor Grant Parks said the state “has not collected sufficient data” to prove that the billions of dollars improved the situation.

Parks, who was appointed by Newsom in 2022, added in the report that the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) has “not consistently tracked and evaluated the State’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness,” since 2021.

“Cal ICH has also not aligned its action plan to end homelessness with its statutory goals to collect financial information and ensure accountability and results,” the report states. “Thus, it lacks assurance that the actions it takes will effectively enable it to achieve those goals.”

In short, there’s no way to determine if the money actually went to providing real help to homeless people.

Conservatives around the state are now demanding answers, with California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher calling out Newsom directly.