Why homelessness is worse in California than Texas

Today, the Lone Star state counts 90 homeless people per every 100,000 residents. In California, the problem is almost five times as bad.

Produced by Liz Wolfe and Zach Weissmueller.

Camera by Andrew Miller. Sound design by Ian Keyser. Graphics by Isaac Reese.

Music Credits: "Inborn" by Piotr Hummel via Artlist; "Crossing the High Desert" by Lance Conrad via Artlist; "Kill or Be Killed Showdown" by Lance Conrad via Artlist; "Hope and Heisenberg" by SPEARFISHER via Artlist; "Crystalline" by Leroy Wild via Artlist; "Diamonds" by Livingrooms via Artlist; "Deadman Pass" by The Talbott Brothers via Artlist; "Beer House" by Alex Grohl via Artlist; "Martha" by Swirling Ship via Artlist; "Wanderer" by The Talbott Brothers via Artlist; "Finding My Memories" by Yehezkel Raz via Artlist; "Railroad" by Max H. via Artlist; "Who Goes There" by Falconer via Artlist; "Ross Landing" by David Benedict via Artlist; "Country Roads" by Kick Lee via Artlist; "Grey Shadow" by ANBR via Artlist

Photo Credits: DPST/Newscom; John Marshall Mantel/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; JIM RUYMEN/UPI/Newscom; TERRY SCHMITT/UPI/Newscom; Mike Kane/SanAntonioExpress/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Bob Daemmrich/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Scott Coleman/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Taylor Jones/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; FRANCES M. ROBERTS/Newscom; RICHARD B. LEVINE/Newscom; Mario Cantu/Cal Sport Media/Newscom; Jana Birchum/Polaris/Newscom; Bob Daemmrich/Polaris/Newscom; Curt Teich Postcard Archives / Heritage Images/Newscom; Jamal A. Wilson - Pool via CNP/Newscom; Michael Ho Wai Lee/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Brittany Murray/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Wu Kaixiang / Xinhua News Agency/Newscom; Julie Edwards / Avalon/Newscom; David Crane/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Peter Bennett/Citizen of the Planet/Newscom; Facebook/Haven for Hope; Facebook/Coalition for the Homeless of Houston; Flickr/Eric Garcetti (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0); Flickr/Steve Shook (CC BY 2.0)

00:00 Introduction
1:54 Austin Community First! Village
10:48 San Antonio Haven for Hope
18:48 Houston Housing First

[edward.abraham]

I’m in Ohio and the housing market here over the last 7-8 years is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Homes that were bought for $130K in 2015 are now being sold for $590k. I’m talking about tiny, disgusting, poorly built 950 square foot shit boxes in quite mediocre neighborhoods. Then you’ve got Better, average sized homes in nicer neighborhoods that were $300K+ 10 years ago selling for $750k+ now. Wild times.

[mjmeans]

Wasn't there a story a while back where someone in CA built a bunch of tiny homes for homeless but was told by the government that he can't let the homeless live there?

[TooMuchButtHair]

It's almost weird to watch actual journalism in 2023.

Keep up the good work Reason.

[michealsharp]

Sadly enough i was homeless in California (Monterey/Salinas area) for a few months and it was brutal.. it is hard to get help as a single male with no kids.. i ended up moving to Minnesota where things started looking up.. got my license back after 21yrs moved into an apartment got a vehicle that's even insured..lol.. life isnt all roses and cupcakes but its not all that bad either.. to top it off im also a recovering opiate addict clean and sober since August 4th 2015....

[mctrimm]

I volunteered at Haven For Hope, serving lunch, and was surprised at how happy and grateful they were. They're not a homeless shelter, not a soup kitchen, the residents have to go to classes, pass drug tests, etc., so they end up living with others who also give AF. That's why They're successful.

[TheRisky]

So the biggest difference is that Texas encourages private individuals and charities to handle the homeless in their community while California discourages it and even sabatoges efforts.

The result is that homeless in Texas are viewed as neighbors and members of the community while in California they are "others."

[ja]

I live near Chico California. We had a tiny home setup like this outside of city limits, it was set up that way to avoid the zoning laws. The people coordinating it were sued and a judge ruled it was too far away from the city, so that the homeless couldn't get services. So they offered to move it within the city, and it was shot down for not being zoned for that... You literally can't win.

[shrikedecil]

The very word "Homelessness" is basically intentionally disguising the actual problems. There's several lumped under the same label, and then solutions to one subgroup are shot down as "not solutions" for not addressing some *other* subgroup.

Politicians can then grift off the issue, like always.

[tylersculpts]

Strict zoning laws are a really big problem in the US. You can’t build walkable places where people can meet eachother, you can’t build communal gathering areas or public parks, and you can’t integrate stores and shops into neighborhoods, you can only build a massive Walmart to outcompete local businesses. That village of tiny homes honestly is the future.

[erickgutierrez]

I was a mental health social worker for the homeless in Los Angeles county. What isn’t talked about here is the "greyhound" treatment these states have. Anecdotally, 50% of my clients originated from out of state! Yeah this approach may work with SOME of the homeless but it appears they greyhound their difficult homeless people to areas like LA.

[jopainting]

I have lived in Texas my whole life, the homelessness has absolutely NOT been decreasing in Texas, what's happened is they force people off of the streets and deeper into the woods.
Austin is absolutely nothing like it was even just 12 years ago.. it's been being destroyed due to the state and city selling out to big tech. I can no longer afford to live in my home city. There also used to be friendly, relatively safe homeless people around and a lot of people knew who they were. It's not like that anymore.
I hate what has been happening to Austin. It's an absolute disgrace and should be criminal. Our environment and culture is being destroyed by the people moving here for the wrong reasons.

[karenk]

I live and worked just outside of downtown Houston and since I worked "second shift" I watched the homeless population shrink on my drive home. I am glad to see that something good comes out of no zoning. It can be jarring when you have grown up in Dallas County.

[bombero]

Wonder if the huge salaries of the non-profit CEO’s in California have anything to do with the perpetual homelessness issues?

[bobocomments]

I was a tour boat captain in downtown San Antonio for years and I saw first hand how cops dealt respectfully and firmly with homeless. Also twice I met California city officials that had come to SA to learn about haven for hope

[aaron.harrell]

Missing a big one: the weather in Texas is generally quite brutal, whereas California is moderate by comparison. We also get a lot of tropical storms in Texas. We are the second most expensive state to insure a home. It is much harder to live outside in Texas than California, weatherwise. I will say that the homeless population appears to be increasing in the North Texas area, though.

[drop_messages]

I have lived in California and Texas.
When I lived in the suburbs outside of Dallas, I noticed there was a sense of pride and "this is my home" vibe. In Texas, the suburbs was for families. People sent their kids to safe schools, most people who live in Texas are from that county. Texas have state pride "Do not mess with Texas", and religion is popular. In other words, Texas, and states East of Texas have a sense of tradition.

California is more hippie culture. If you are going to be a homeless bum, why not the Golden state and golden beaches? The weather is there, it has that "sit around and smoke weed down by the beach". California is expensive. Middle class people are leaving California's cities. The only Californians who do not complain about the cost of living, are the rich people. California has its class of pretentios itellectuals who think they are superior, because they one meet a southerner who said something a bit racist in the privacy of their own home. Meanwhile, California is too expensive, and has drug and homeless problems.

Why does California have more homeless in Texas?
If you want to live out doors, California has better weather.
If you want free stuff, California has many government programs.
If you are a drifter, with no purpose in life, California does not mind losing middle class people.
If you hate following the rules of polite society, California is already filled with homeless and gangs, you can join them.

Texas is more for families and people who care about tradition

[charlottemiller]

Last time I check, Eugene Oregon (the town I just moved out of after living in for 24yrs) has 456 per 10, 000. It's a housing first city for sure. My husband is a carpenter and used to build them. The town is ruined. The whole west coast is. You can't imagine unless you see it yourself. The tent cities and the public drug use. It's just incredible. I bought a house and had to sell it so my daughter didn't grow up with ppl using drugs outside her window

[omaralvarado]

The good thing about Texas is that you could still move away from Austin, and find a very nice house in the other cities cheap. And away from traffic and a simple lifestyle.😊😊

[usov]

At this point, just saying California's problem is "worse" than in other places is an euphemism. It's WAY, WAY WORSE than in other places.

[rontayan]

As always if you want a problem solved do not ask for help form the government.