By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – August 6, 2021 After California's dismal economy and Newsom's Draconian fumbling with Covid-19, the next issue that has not only not been solved , but actually has gotten worse, that of homelessness. California currently boasts a population of 161,000 at best guess. It could be very much worse. California has nearly thirty five percent of the entire Country's homeless, up from twenty eight percent since Newsom took office. It is not like it is much of a mystery to California's governor, something he has taken quite seriously to the recent tune of $12,000,000,000 for such programs as "RoomKey" and "Homekey". These programs, meant to "house first" then treat underlying conditions of drug use, mental health issues, and abject poverty, are what many in the nation have been using to solve their problems with homelessness. While this appears to encourage positive political capital with voters as "doing something", it comes at an enormous cost, while only solving the problem for a fraction of the overall homeless population. There are many schools of thought as to how government can effectively be seen to do something about this growing problem. Yes, the $12 billion dollars Governor Newsom has poured into the issue to "house first" has seen some of those unsheltered get into for the most part temporary housing, The problem then remains, how to keep them there and transition to more permanent places to live. That appears to be a great deal more difficult than Newsom's assurances that the problem must be solved and his policies are the ones that will turn the tide. Placing homeless into repurposed motels and apartment complexes may seem to answer Newsom's problem for periods of time, but it clearly is only part of the solution. Most folks in the State are now saying what's next, as the tents continue to adorn public places and highway sides and underpasses. There have been and continue to be many of Newsom's detractors who are quick to offer suggestions on what to do next. Newsom's answer has been to ask the federal government for help, since it has become clear even to him, that his policies have failed to solve the problem and likely can be pointed as making the problem much worse. Homelessness may never be completely solvable, but the explosion of it in California, may have more to do with many other policies that have appeared on Newsom's watch. Low income housing, mental health and addiction services do not appear to be in the governor's sights as essential to improving the homeless crisis. Lack of clear leadership when directing local agencies who receive the homeless funding has created mismanagement of the funding as well as astronomical costs to house so few. Since choosing to "solve the homeless crisis" in 2018 and pouring billions of dollars into that task, Governor Newsom can be said to "own" the dismal results. Thus far it cannot be truthfully said that the task has been completed, in fact it has worsened. As California moves forward under Newsom's leadership, there has been little evidence that he has anything left in his well of ideas to accomplish his stated goal. This is just one other issue that has many Californians angry with the governor. Promises made, promises not kept. Stay tuned for Part Four, the housing crisis in California and how Governor Newson could have made the situation better and hasn't.