Tech Billionaires Accelerate Homelessness Crisis?

Investment Analysis Clubs Macro Economic Trends and Risks
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or maybe just a few tech billionaires.

Homeless policy in the US has long been a man-made disaster. In 2024, the most recent estimate, had a record number of 771,480 individuals experiencing homelessness—and that’s believed to be an undercount.

the Cicero Institute. It was founded in 2016 by Joe Lonsdale, a billionaire venture capitalist who co-founded Palantir with billionaire Peter Thiel. Cicero has also been backed by other billionaires like the Kochs. Its board is composed of Lonsdale, his Silicon Valley investment connections, and a few DC insiders.

As part of a national push to outlaw homelessness, Cicero hired lobbyists in several states to push for the crackdown on sleeping in public while unhoused and also offered model legislation that was eventually adopted by several states and localities.

Last July, Trump’s executive order directed HUD to shift federal homelessness funding away from housing first and toward encampment enforcement. The agency has done so, and it has caused chaos in housing departments across the country, disrupting services.

Some humans are just extraneous. And more of those type of extraneous humans will be made with AI.

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The new approach may not work, but we know the old way doesn’t. For example, Google AI tells me that under Gov. Newsom (since 2019) California has spend between $24 and $37 billion on homeless programs – while the homeless population increased some 30%.

DB2

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The best solution is probably more low income housing.

But also better job training and better mental health programs.

The homeless tend to prefer cities where more social services are available within walking distance. Homeless camps with their own social services might be feasible some places.