Urban Homelessness in California: A Multicity Analysis of Structural Constraints and Policy Implementation
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Across California, the seven largest cities-Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, and Long Beach-carry a disproportionate share of the state's homelessness crisis, even though they operate under the same statewide policy framework. Each city's homelessness system reflects its own history, political climate, and housing market conditions, and this study shows that a common set of structural forces especially severe housing scarcity, fragmented behavioral-health systems, and uneven local capacity shapes homelessness across these urban areas while producing different outcomes on the ground. Drawing on multidisciplinary research, statewide policy analyses, and municipal data, the analysis compares how cities interpret and implement key interventions, including permanent supportive housing, interim shelter expansion, prevention strategies, and enforcement-oriented responses. The findings make clear that California's homelessness crisis cannot be reduced to a single cause; instead, understanding it requires a systems-oriented perspective that accounts for the intertwined economic, social, and policy forces shaping conditions in each community. By situating city-level strategies within broader statewide patterns, the study identifies points of convergence and divergence, as well as persistent structural constraints that limit the effectiveness of current responses, underscoring the need for coordinated, scalable, and context-responsive policy solutions.
Author: Peter G. Kreysa
Institution: California State University, Long Beach
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,016
OpenAlex ID: W7155055249
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