Boost to California homelessness spending was brief

California sharply and briefly increased its spending on homelessness when it ran large budget surpluses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This spending fell to about 0.5% of the state's general fund in 2026 – the same percentage as in 2020.

This chart shows two related California budget trends tied to homelessness spending in gray and red bars.

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Amounts spent are not adjusted for inflation. Years shown are fiscal years, which in California end on June 30. The 2026 data are estimated. Amounts and percentages exclude federal funds that flow into California's budget.

Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-NDSource: Benjamin F. HenwoodGet the dataEmbed Download imageCreated with Datawrapper