California Proposition 47 Linked To 7,000 More Unsheltered Homeless Individuals

California's Proposition 47 criminal justice reform contributed to an estimated 10% increase in unsheltered homelessness between 2015 and 2019, representing approximately 7,000 additional individuals experiencing homelessness. The 2014 legislation reduced incarceration for certain drug and property offenses by reclassifying them from felonies to misdemeanors.

Proposition 47 was also associated with a 7% to 8% increase in serious drug use, as measured by overdose deaths, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits. Addiction treatment admissions declined by approximately 20%, largely due to fewer referrals from courts and criminal justice agencies. The legislation reduced incarceration rates and enforcement for certain drug and . . .