Homelessness — A Policy Impasse at Scale

active• sanfrancisco

San Francisco's homelessness crisis is one of the most expensive and intractable in the nation. The city spends more per homeless resident than virtually any city in America, yet the fundamental outcomes — people housed, people off the streets — have remained stubbornly flat. The debate has shifted in 2025–26 as most people using drugs on sidewalks refuse shelter or housing — a reality that exposes the limits of "Housing First" policies when the population on the street is actively in the grip of addiction. Mayor Lurie's proposed budget would shift some of the city's earmarked affordable housing funds to open more temporary shelters instead — a pivot that affordable housing advocates argue trades long-term solutions for short-term optics. Meanwhile, federal funding threats from the Trump administration are targeting the exact homelessness prevention and substance abuse treatment programs the city relies on most.

Related cause: Homelessness

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