How California governor candidates say they will tackle homelessness

Homelessness — and affordability and housing availability — is among the many concerns voters will ask candidates to address in 2026

Homelessness — and affordability, housing availability and myriad other issues tangential to a very visible problem in California — is among the many concerns Californians have that the bevy of gubernatorial candidates will be asked to address as the campaign for governor continues this year.

In fact, a recent Public Policy Institute survey found 8 in 10 Californians are at least somewhat concerned about homelessness in their area.

So what are the candidates’ plans? The official field may not be quite set yet, but with less than six months to go until the primary, take an early look at what the major candidates for California governor have said about their plans to address homelessness below.

(Note: Campaigns for former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco declined requests for an interview or more information about the candidates’ platforms for this story. A spokesperson for Rep. Eric Swalwell also did not respond to requests for comment or an interview.)

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Steve Hilton, a Republican and former Fox News host, has made cost of living, in general, a key component of his campaign.

But when it comes to homelessness, specifically, Hilton said the governor should ensure laws against encampments are enforced locally and to ensure people with mental health or substance abuse problems receive treatment.

“I would make sure that any place in California that doesn’t enforce the law on encampments, I will use state law enforcement resources to do that,” he said in an October television interview.

While his campaign website doesn’t include any additional specifics about his plans to eradicate homelessness, Hilton, in a phone call, pointed to his policy organization, Golden Together, which last year laid out several ideas to curtail homelessness, including turning to congregate “recovery shelters” as opposed to individual apartments or tiny homes, making it easier to involuntarily commit someone with a mental illness to a care facility, auditing nonprofits and other developers that receive homelessness assistance funds, and improving programs designed to reduce recidivism.

“To begin with, helping the homeless and getting them off the streets requires the will on the part of public officials to take these steps,” Hilton’s organization said.

For former Rep. Katie Porter, tackling homelessness, lowering the cost of housing and addressing prevention — such as emergency rental assistance and rapid rehousing — all go hand in hand. The goal, she said, should be to stop the addition of more unhoused people in the state.

“We will not solve this problem if more Californians are becoming newly homeless each day,” Porter said in a statement provided by her campaign.

“California’s focus has been on permanent supportive housing, which is important, but I would also invest in more interim housing to provide shelter,” the Irvine Democrat added. “Solving unsheltered homelessness is achievable if we make smart, data-driven investments in prevention and interim housing.”

“Our long-term housing challenges require building more housing and doing it more quickly to bring down prices, as well as innovating in housing designs and materials,” she said of her plans.

Click here to read the full article in the OC Register