There is no doubt that Californians face a crisis of homelessness. 

Prop. 1 does not provide much of a solution at all, building very little housing. 

But don't take our word for it. Here's how the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) says it:

How Would the Bond Impact Homelessness? The state government estimates the bond would build up to 4,350 housing units, with 2,350 set aside for veterans. The bond would provide housing to over 20 percent of veterans experiencing homelessness. The number of housing units built by the bond would reduce statewide homelessness by only a small amount.

These are simple facts:

• 4,350 total housing units
• 2,000 for non-veteran residents
• Reducing homelessness "by only a small amount"

It's no wonder that the governor and his campaign repeatedly have tried to inflate the amount of housing in Prop. 1, often claiming it builds 11,000 or more units of housing. (See "Rebutting Prop. 1 Claims.")

They blatantly oversell Prop. 1 as a solution.

What About Homeless Veterans?

The Yes on 1 campaign says, "It is disgraceful that over 10,000 California veterans, many suffering from PTSD, are homeless and on the streets."

Gov. Newsom has been governor for 5 full years.

Just before he took office, in Nov. 2018, the voters passed two measures that were advertised very much like this year's Proposition 1:

• Proposition 1, authorizing $4 billion in bonds for veterans housing assistance and other affordable housing, and
• Proposition 2, authorizing the diversion of up to $140 million per year from Mental Health Services Act program funds to pay for $2 billion in bonds to create "supportive housing" for people with mental illness. 

What have state leaders done with that money, to be coming back again so soon, asking for even more money for such similar purposes?

The text of that old 2018 Proposition 1 states that California had 11,311 homeless veterans. Five years later, today's Prop. 1 supporters say there are still 10,000, and it's "disgraceful."

This year's Proposition 1 is supposed to be focused partly on veterans, but could only reach about "20 percent of veterans experiencing homelessness," according to the LAO.

What is the plan for veterans left behind from the 2018 Prop. 1 and the latest version? 

It seems like Prop. 1 is not much of a solution for veterans, either.

Basic Facts

Human Costs of Prop. 1's Cuts

Costs of Prop. 1

Rebutting Prop. 1 Claims