A new state audit has found a lack of transparency and accountability in homelessness spending by the state of California and two major cities.
The review was published Tuesday by the California State Auditor. Most of the report was devoted to state efforts and the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) in particular. However, a separate report examined homelessness spending by the cities of San José and San Diego.
Auditors concluded the following:
Cal ICH does not consistently track or evaluate efforts to end homelessness, making it impossible to measure their effectiveness
While the Homekey and CalWORKs programs are likely cost-effective, there is not enough data to determine the cost-benefit ratio for three other state programs
San José and San Diego have also failed to adequately track spending or gauge the outcomes of their homelessness programs
Neither city could provide an accurate account of how much money it has spent on the crisis or how successful its efforts have been
In an interview with CalMatters, San José Mayor Matt Mahan and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria acknowledged the need to improve transparency and accountability. Both leaders also called on the state to provide more assistance.
“All of us can use this audit as a tool to understand how much more needs to be done in order to continue meaningfully addressing homelessness,” said Gloria, “and we hope to impress on state leaders the need for adequate and ongoing funding for California’s biggest crisis.”