177 State of Homelessness: Why have so many efforts fallen short? with Andrew Hening

The Do Gooders Podcast

Despite California’s economic might and world-class growth engine, one of the biggest problems plaguing the state is growing right alongside its GDP.

California has dominated the national conversation on homelessness. As of 2022, 30 percent of all people in the U.S. experiencing homelessness resided in California, including half of all unsheltered people.

In a recent poll, 84 percent of Californians said they think homelessness has become a “very serious problem.”

And despite spending billions to address it, the issue has only grown.

To help us understand why so many efforts to curb homelessness have fallen short and which strategies deserve more of our attention, we’re talking today with Andrew Hening.

Andrew is a UC Berkeley MBA with nearly 20 years of social sector leadership experience. He is currently consulting with public agencies to measurably reduce homelessness, spark civic innovation, and redesign systems of care for homeless and at-risk populations.

In 2018, Andrew was named the top national influencer in local government by Engaging Local Government Leaders for his work with the City of San Rafael. There, Andrew helped break down the complex issue of homelessness and mobilize the community around lasting solutions.

He's also the author of “So You Want to Solve Homelessness? Start Here,” helping us understand the issue, what efforts are effective and what communities can learn.

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