“Yes, it is,” he said. “It’s not just possible. It’s essential.”<\/p>\n
Hilton clarified that his goal of ending mass homelessness does not mean eliminating homelessness altogether. Rather, he wants to dramatically reduce the sprawling encampments that have become a fixture in cities across the state, including San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.<\/p>\n
His proposal calls for as many as 30 recovery centers, each with the capacity to accommodate approximately 5,000 people. Together, those facilities could provide temporary shelter for roughly 150,000 people, along with mental health treatment, addiction recovery services, job training and other assistance.<\/p>\n
The Republican pointed to a proposed site on unused federal military land near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego as a potential model. Hilton said discussions are underway with people involved in the project and the federal government.<\/p>\n
“We’re not talking about building apartment buildings,” Hilton said. “This is temporary shelter, but the most important point is it’s safe and clean and away from the conditions that have kept people trapped in homelessness.”<\/p>\n
Election 2026: A Guide to California’s Ballot Propositions<\/a><\/p>\n The plan raises significant questions about how quickly the state could establish facilities of that scale, secure suitable land and provide the staffing and services needed to operate them. Hilton has not provided a detailed statewide construction timeline or cost estimate.<\/p>\n He argues California already spends enough money on homelessness and should redirect existing resources rather than continue funding programs he considers ineffective.<\/p>\n That includes a proposed shift away from the state’s Housing First approach, which prioritizes access to permanent housing without requiring sobriety or treatment as a precondition. Hilton also wants to end funding for harm reduction programs, arguing they enable addiction rather than address its underlying causes.<\/p>\n Harm reduction programs can include distributing sterile syringes and providing access to medications such as methadone, an evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder. Hilton has characterized such programs as taxpayer-funded incentives for continued drug use and says the state should focus on supporting recovery-based services.<\/p>\n “The best benchmark for showing that someone’s got their life back on track is a steady job,” Hilton said, describing employment as the ultimate measure of success for his proposed centers.<\/p>\n But he acknowledged that reaching that milestone could take years for some individuals, even as he maintains that mass homelessness could be substantially reduced within his first year.<\/p>\n Hilton also said his facilities would be designed to address practical barriers that keep people from entering shelters, including restrictions on pets and the challenges of accommodating people with vastly different needs in the same setting.<\/p>\n When asked what would happen to people who refuse assistance, Hilton said he would prefer voluntary cooperation and mental health treatment first but would ultimately support law enforcement intervention.<\/p>\n The Republican’s sweeping promises come as California continues to face scrutiny over its homelessness spending. A 2024 state audit found that California had not consistently tracked the outcomes of major homelessness programs, making it difficult to determine whether billions in public spending were producing measurable results.<\/p>\n Top Stories<\/p>\n
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