Fact Checkers Catch Gov. Newsom in a Whopper About Homeless

By gvwire

Published 6 years ago on

August 16, 2019

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has a reputation as a straight shooter who will candidly talk about tough topics such as the death penalty, the state’s housing crisis, and abortion.
But, according to Politifact California, the governor made a ridiculously false statement when he told “Axios on HBO” that a “vast majority” of San Francisco’s homeless population was from Texas.

“The data shows (Newsom’s statement) is completely and totally incorrect.” — Jennifer Friedenback, executive director of San Francisco-based Coalition of Homelessness

“Just (an) interesting fact,” the former San Francisco mayor added.
Not even close, say the truth checkers at Politifact.
“The data shows (Newsom’s statement) is completely and totally incorrect,” Jennifer Friedenback, executive director of San Francisco-based Coalition of Homelessness, told Politifact. “Newsom knows better, by the way.”

San Francisco’s Homeless Count

What are the real numbers?
According to San Francisco’s 2019 point in time homeless count: 70 percent had lived in the city; 22 percent in another California county and 8 percent out-of-state. Of that 70 percent, more than half, or 55 percent, reported living in San Francisco for a decade or more before losing their home. Just 6 percent said they had lived in the city for less than a year.
Others blew the whistle on Newsom’s claim before Politifact took a deep dive into the city’s homeless statistics. The Los Angeles Times first pointed to Newsom’s questionable statement about Texas. That led the California Republican Party to call it “a baseless claim.”
Wrote John Myers, the Sacramento Bureau Chief for the Times, in a June 24 story:
“In some ways, the comment was little more than another jab in the longstanding slugfest between the Golden State and the Lone Star State. Chronicled last week by the Economist in a series of special reports, the feud is equal doses practical and political. Both states have sought to crown themselves as champions in economic might. And both California and Texas won national attention by challenging the agendas of the last two presidents.”