KTVU, Fox two news at six. >> A new statewide audit finds California is spending billions of dollars on homelessness and has limited ways of tracking where that money is going. >> There are not clear plans in place even at the local level, to establish goals that would eradicate homelessness over any period of time. >> State auditors found California has spent $24 billion on homelessness in the past five years, but they can't tell how effective those funded programs have been. Good evening. I'm Julie Julie Haener and I'm Mike Mibach. >> The report released this morning says the crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of unhoused people is not improving. KTVU Crystal Bailey has been digging into the report and has more on the lack of organization on addressing this very big issue here. Crystal. >> Well, Mike. Julie, the audit assess the cost effectiveness and impact of homelessness programs at the state and local level and found that between 2018 and 2023, the number of unhoused people is going up and the outcomes are uncertain. Even though billions was poured into housing programs, more than 180,000 Californians experienced homelessness in 2023. That is a 53% increase from ten years ago. In 2020 2013, the state auditor's report says they're not sure whether the homeless programs in place are working, even though they cost the state $24 billion. It all started when Senator Dave Cortez visited one of the largest homeless encampments in San Jose, asking the city whether the money spent on housing programs was working. When he found insufficient data, he and other state leaders penned a letter asking the state auditor to look into it. >> Up until last year, midway through 2023, there there was no centralized portion of data around the flow of dollars from the state, you know, to local jurisdictions. >> The audit collected information from 2018 to 2023, reviewing two cities. One of them is San Jose. >> So I think the report's clear on is we need an all of the above approach. We need low rungs on the ladder, basic, dignified shelter, as well as the long tum solution, which is building more affordable housing. We need a comprehensive framework for data and performance measurement and the thorough report, auditors say the California Interagency Council on Homelessness is responsible for coordinating and evaluating the efforts across the state. >> The audit says the council has not established a consistent method for gathering information on homelessness programs, cost and outcomes, a spokesperson from the council says in a statement, in part, that the Audit's findings underscore a need to continue to hold local governments accountable who are primarily responsible for implementing these programs and collecting data on outcomes that the state can use to evaluate program effectiveness, and went on to say, the council continues to improve its ability to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent judiciously and effectively. >> This audit will establish some somewhat of a blueprint for legislative direction and guardrails going forward. You know, to improve upon, you know, some of these areas, these deficiencies and these systemic issues that that the audit, calls out and the state auditor made a couple of key recommendations to mandate reporting suggesting that legislature require the council to annually collect and report outcome information beginning in September 2025. >> Now also, Senator Cortez also says that auditors tell him there is no evidence of fraud. He doesn't think that the state should stop sending funding. He says there just needs to be more transparency so that the money can be allocated in a way that best makes the most impact. >> So how does the actual passing of proposition one here affect these programs? >> Yeah, I mean, we're looking at more than $6 billion being added to mental health and beds and services here. But I did reach out to Governor Newsom's office and I did not hear a response. So t
