California’s statewide response to homelessness is too often measured by dollars spent rather than progress made. While funding matters, measurable results should matter most.
As a San Juan Capistrano city councilmember and former mayor, I’ve spent years working at the intersection of housing, public safety and human services. What I’ve learned is that progress depends on more than simply funding programs. It requires a clear understanding of what is driving homelessness locally, investments that address those barriers directly and a willingness to measure whether those efforts are actually working.
According to the Orange County’s 2026 Point-in-Time Count, between 2022 and 2026, San Juan Capistrano reduced its homeless population by 85%. The count is a federally mandated effort used to measure homelessness and help inform how resources are directed throughout Orange County.
In San Juan Capistrano, we put those principles into practice through a multi-pronged approach that combines compassion with accountability.
For our city, that has meant incorporating affordable and transitional housing into our strategy for new residential development. About 20% of all new housing built in San Juan Capistrano has been affordable or transitional housing. The principle behind that approach is straightforward: if communities want to reduce homelessness over the long term, they have to address the underlying shortage of stable and attainable housing.
We also hired an in-house outreach worker to build trust over time in the field and help connect people with the services and housing options available to them. That could mean offering gift cards for food or basic necessities, providing transportation to medical care or helping someone navigate available services.
Those interactions matter and can make someone more willing to accept help and take the next step toward stable housing.
Increased enforcement has also been part of our approach. Our parks, sidewalks, businesses and public spaces should remain safe, clean and accessible to the entire community. Helping people experiencing homelessness and maintaining safe public spaces are not competing goals. Good policy should be able to address both.
While California’s cities share common challenges, effective solutions require tailored strategies. Local officials are closest to their communities — we understand our neighborhoods, partner directly with service providers and remain accountable for real-world results. State resources are most powerful when local leaders have the autonomy to deploy them where they matter most.
San Juan Capistrano’s 85% reduction in homelessness shows that meaningful progress is possible when cities are empowered to pursue practical, balanced solutions.
Sergio Farias is a San Juan Capistrano city councilmember, former mayor, and candidate for California State Assembly in District 74 in San Diego and Orange counties.
