Mayor Daniel Lurie helped pass legislation that would allow local governments in California to spend up to 10% of homeless funding from the state on “recovery-focused” housing (“San Francisco vs. Gavin Newsom,” Review & Outlook, Oct. 10). While there is ongoing debate about the roles of Housing First and “recovery-focused” offerings, further segmenting insufficient resources isn’t prudent policymaking.
Substance use and lack of access to treatment programs are serious problems in the U.S. The Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration estimated that 17% of Americans had a substance-use disorder in 2024. The most recent data from California found that about 37% of homeless people reported regular substance use in the six months prior to being surveyed.
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