Despite the fact that homelessness has consistently been ranked by California residents as a top 3 policy priority area for nearly a decade, since 2019 the highest share of the state general budget ever allocated to homelessness response was just over 2%. Look at our brief that breaks down recent budget allocations and how they do or don’t reflect the state’s most important policy challenges!
California spends less than 1% of its state budget on homelessness despite it being ranked a top priority
Year: 2026