Homelessness has been a huge and seemingly-unsolvable problem for decades.

 

California and local governments spend over $40k/year on homeless services.

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That should be more than enough.

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One problem is that the more resources we throw at this, the more people from other states come to California to take advantage.

(The federal gov't is not doing its part).

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Another problem is that there is a lot of market competition for real estate in California's cities.

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If we want to solve homelessness, we need to try something new and creative!

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I propose experimenting with 'free communities' in unpopulated parts of the state, that don't have competitive real estate markets.

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To protest the federal government's neglect on this issue, I would propose having free one-way busses from California's major cities to these communities;

And free round-trip busses between these communities and cities like Phoenix, AZ and Boise, ID (we can try to place them relatively close to AZ and southeast Oregon).

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These communities would offer California's long-term homeless their own space, not a bed in a dorm.

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Building shelter in unpopulated areas is not that expensive.

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These communities can also offer access to food, healthcare, mental health, drug and alcohol rehab, vocational, and life-guidance services.

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It's also a way to keep people out of desperate scenarios where they may turn to crime, and therein help reduce incarceration rates.