There are many reasons for San Francisco’s homelessness crisis: Gentrification. Job losses. Evictions. Mental health and substance abuse struggles. But … Texas?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently blamed the Lone Star State for somehow producing the bulk of the city’s homeless population. Newsom was mayor of San Francisco from January 2004 through January 2011.
The Democratic governor was asked during a June interview on “Axios on HBO” why San Francisco’s homeless population did not experience a net decline during his tenure as mayor. Newsom said most of the homeless people on the street when he left office were not from California, but added “we took responsibility” for them.
He then made the head-scratching claim about Texas.
“The vast majority (of San Francisco’s homeless people) also come in from — and we know this — from Texas. Just (an) interesting fact,” Newsom said.
San Francisco has struggled for decades with a large homeless population, which reached 8,011 in January — up 17 percent from two years ago, according to the city’s most recent point in time count.
We examined Newsom’s mayoral record on homelessness in a previous fact check. And we’re tracking his gubernatorial campaign promise to tackle the issue statewide through our Newsom-Meter project.
The Los Angeles Times first pointed out Newsom’s questionable statement about Texas, leading the California Republican Party to later call it “a baseless claim.”
Read the rest at: Newsom’s Delusion
