Homelessness

Blog

‘An idea so bad, Seattle hasn’t done it’

“Homelessness isn’t an identity,” said a full-page ad in the Aug. 25 issue of the Spokane’s Spokesman-Review newspaper. “Tell the City Council to VOTE NO on making their hardship a protected class.” The ad, sponsored by the Washington Business Properties Association, included contact info for the Spokane City Council, which ...
California

Learn about the problems with LA's Measure ULA

Yet another example of a tax that didn’t live up to its promises

Measure ULA, approved by nearly 58% of the voters, initially imposed a 4% “mansion tax” on the sales of any homes or commercial properties valued at more than $5 million. The rate jumped to 5.5% on sales above $10 million. The thresholds increased to $5.15 million and $10.3 million on ...
Blog

Read the latest on California's homeless crisis

Newsom’s Veto a Strange Way to Show Support for “Transparency and Accountability”

Assembly Bill 2570, by Asm. Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, would have required state officials to prepare an annual audit  evaluating the effectiveness of the state’s primary homeless grant program – the Homeless, Housing, Assistance and Prevention program. The bill would require the audit to be included in an annual report department ...
California

Read about PRI’s big victory in the Supreme Court

PRI Wins Big Victory in Supreme Court in Key Homelessness Case

PRI filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, which you can read by clicking here. The case involves efforts by the city of Grants Pass, Oregon to discourage sleeping and camping in public spaces.  Homeless advocates sued the city, arguing that its methods were cruel and unusual punishment.  The ...
Blog

Flawed Project Homekey now immersed in scandal

My Pacific Research Institute colleague Kerry Jackson and I have written extensively about the inherent flaws of Project Homekey. As a refresher, Project Homekey is Gov. Gavin Newsom’s main program for addressing the state’s homelessness problem. It attempts to leverage the current hotel and motel infrastructure to move people from ...
Blog

Is government homeless spending really making a difference?

Inconsistencies Plague Sacramento’s Latest Homeless Count

Sometimes, when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  This can be especially true when it comes to data being touted in government reports. Take China’s government economic data, for example.  The Chinese Communist machine routinely manipulates economic data to please their political superiors. The reported statistics ...
Business & Economics

Erik Jaffe – 2024 Supreme Court preview

Partner in Schaerr-Jaffe and PRI fellow in legal studies Erik Jaffe joins us this week for his annual preview of the decisions in the hot cases that will be handed down by the Supreme Court this month.  Lance Izumi and Erik discuss how the Court may rule on President Trump’s ...
Featured

Read the latest on Grants Pass v Johnson

George Will highlights PRI’s work on homelessness in his latest Washington Post column

The homeless right-to-camp issue comes to the Supreme Court By George F. Will An amicus brief from the Pacific Research Institute notes that, in all eras, vagrants have experienced pressures from circumstances. (As have most criminals.) So, is any punishment disproportional for behavior an individual cannot control? What about a ...
Blog

Learn what the State Auditor found wrong with CA homelessness spending

Who is left to defend CA homelessness spending?

I received a text out of nowhere from a friend who shares vastly different political opinions than myself: Where is all the money that is supposed to go to the homeless? I had to report the homeless camp on my apartment street. I openly saw someone smoking from a crack ...
Commentary

Read the latest on California's approach to homelessness

Prop 1 promises more of the same for California’s homeless

Leading up to the March 5 primary, Gov. Gavin Newsom appealed to voters by insisting that Proposition 1 is a just reward for veterans, who “have given everything for our freedom often at extraordinary cost to themselves.” It’s not an unpersuasive argument. It was, however, a cheap, emotional ploy.  The ...
Blog

‘An idea so bad, Seattle hasn’t done it’

“Homelessness isn’t an identity,” said a full-page ad in the Aug. 25 issue of the Spokane’s Spokesman-Review newspaper. “Tell the City Council to VOTE NO on making their hardship a protected class.” The ad, sponsored by the Washington Business Properties Association, included contact info for the Spokane City Council, which ...
California

Learn about the problems with LA's Measure ULA

Yet another example of a tax that didn’t live up to its promises

Measure ULA, approved by nearly 58% of the voters, initially imposed a 4% “mansion tax” on the sales of any homes or commercial properties valued at more than $5 million. The rate jumped to 5.5% on sales above $10 million. The thresholds increased to $5.15 million and $10.3 million on ...
Blog

Read the latest on California's homeless crisis

Newsom’s Veto a Strange Way to Show Support for “Transparency and Accountability”

Assembly Bill 2570, by Asm. Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, would have required state officials to prepare an annual audit  evaluating the effectiveness of the state’s primary homeless grant program – the Homeless, Housing, Assistance and Prevention program. The bill would require the audit to be included in an annual report department ...
California

Read about PRI’s big victory in the Supreme Court

PRI Wins Big Victory in Supreme Court in Key Homelessness Case

PRI filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, which you can read by clicking here. The case involves efforts by the city of Grants Pass, Oregon to discourage sleeping and camping in public spaces.  Homeless advocates sued the city, arguing that its methods were cruel and unusual punishment.  The ...
Blog

Flawed Project Homekey now immersed in scandal

My Pacific Research Institute colleague Kerry Jackson and I have written extensively about the inherent flaws of Project Homekey. As a refresher, Project Homekey is Gov. Gavin Newsom’s main program for addressing the state’s homelessness problem. It attempts to leverage the current hotel and motel infrastructure to move people from ...
Blog

Is government homeless spending really making a difference?

Inconsistencies Plague Sacramento’s Latest Homeless Count

Sometimes, when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  This can be especially true when it comes to data being touted in government reports. Take China’s government economic data, for example.  The Chinese Communist machine routinely manipulates economic data to please their political superiors. The reported statistics ...
Business & Economics

Erik Jaffe – 2024 Supreme Court preview

Partner in Schaerr-Jaffe and PRI fellow in legal studies Erik Jaffe joins us this week for his annual preview of the decisions in the hot cases that will be handed down by the Supreme Court this month.  Lance Izumi and Erik discuss how the Court may rule on President Trump’s ...
Featured

Read the latest on Grants Pass v Johnson

George Will highlights PRI’s work on homelessness in his latest Washington Post column

The homeless right-to-camp issue comes to the Supreme Court By George F. Will An amicus brief from the Pacific Research Institute notes that, in all eras, vagrants have experienced pressures from circumstances. (As have most criminals.) So, is any punishment disproportional for behavior an individual cannot control? What about a ...
Blog

Learn what the State Auditor found wrong with CA homelessness spending

Who is left to defend CA homelessness spending?

I received a text out of nowhere from a friend who shares vastly different political opinions than myself: Where is all the money that is supposed to go to the homeless? I had to report the homeless camp on my apartment street. I openly saw someone smoking from a crack ...
Commentary

Read the latest on California's approach to homelessness

Prop 1 promises more of the same for California’s homeless

Leading up to the March 5 primary, Gov. Gavin Newsom appealed to voters by insisting that Proposition 1 is a just reward for veterans, who “have given everything for our freedom often at extraordinary cost to themselves.” It’s not an unpersuasive argument. It was, however, a cheap, emotional ploy.  The ...
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