I live in Alameda County California, across the Bay from San Francisco. Alameda County has the fifth largest homeless population in the US and the fourth highest percentage of homeless individuals who are unsheltered. Here are the latest numbers:

Unfortunately, the numbers keep getting worse, despite ample spending on programs and services, including outreach, case management, mental health and substance abuse counseling, shelter expansion, navigation centers, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, housing subsidies, affordable housing projects, etc. Yet from 2011 to 2020, homelessness in Alameda County almost doubled, from 4,178 individuals in its 2011 point-in-time count to 8,137 in 2020.  Even worse, the number of unsheltered homeless almost tripled during the same period, from 2,212 in 2011 to 6,312 in 2020. Clearly, Alameda County is doing something wrong – but what?

In a search for answers, I Googled “US cities where homelessness is declining” and came up with Houston, where the homeless population has more than halved since 2011. Specifically, the 2011 point-in-time count identified 8,471 homeless individuals in Houston and surrounding counties, of whom 4,418 were unsheltered. By 2020, homeless and unsheltered individuals numbered 3,974 and 1,656, respectively. Clearly, Houston* is doing something right.

One thing Houston is doing right is finding permanent supportive housing for its homeless population, with over 16,000 housed since 2011. Another is using a carrot-and-stick approach, such as prosecuting homeless individuals for low-level misdemeanors and sending them to a “Homeless Court”, which allows people experiencing homelessness to meet traditional sentence requirements by participating in service program activities such as chemical dependency meetings, computer literacy classes, and job skills training. Houston also coordinates homeless services with nearby cities and counties that are part of the same Continuum of Care administrative unit. This governance structure fosters collaborative problem-solving across a diverse political landscape, inculcating a culture that respects both progressive and conservative sensibilities. In other words, help the homeless but don’t ignore the impact of homelessness on businesses, neighborhoods, and crime rates.

Here in Alameda County, the approach to homelessness is big on carrots, light on sticks, and dismissive of concerns about the negative impacts of homelessness on the broader community as mere whining by people with an excessive sense of entitlement. What I’d call a lose-lose proposition, given that neither the homeless nor the broader community are being served by this approach.

* ”Houston” refers to both the City of Houston and the Houston Area, which includes surrounding counties that are part of the same Continuum of Care. Continuums of Care are regional or local planning bodies that coordinate housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals. Alameda County is also a Continuum of Care entity.