Over the past five years, California has spent an astonishing $24 billion on homelessness programs. Yet, the crisis has only worsened, with over 181,000 people still unhoused in the state as of 2023. (CBS News). That’s roughly $160,000 per homeless individual—more than the cost of a home in many parts of the country.
This raises an urgent question: Where did the money go, and why aren’t we seeing results?
The Missed Opportunity: A Housing-First Approach
Imagine if that $24 billion had been spent on actual homes instead of temporary shelters, bureaucratic overhead, and ineffective programs.
CHOMEX offers a 10-foot, one-bedroom modular home for just $12,000—a durable, insulated, and secure space that can be set up in a single day. When deployed in large-scale projects with city water, sewer, and electrical connections, the total cost per unit—including land prep—would be approximately $14,000 per home.
With California’s $24 billion budget, we could have housed over 1.7 million people—nearly the entire unhoused population of the United States.
The Reality: What’s Been Tried Doesn’t Work
Decades of throwing money at the problem without bold, tangible solutions have left us in a crisis. The “temporary fix” mindset—shelters, rental subsidies, and ineffective programs—has failed to provide real stability.
Meanwhile, land owned by the state sits empty and unused, while millions remain on the streets.
The Solution: Modular Homes + State Land = Immediate Housing
The beauty of modular, prefab homes like CHOMEX is that they’re fast, affordable, and scalable. State-owned land could be utilized for housing developments instead of being wasted. Cities could designate areas for permanent, affordable communities instead of expensive short-term shelters.
This approach wouldn’t just house the homeless—it would prevent future homelessness by creating low-cost housing options for struggling families and first-time buyers.
Time for Bold Action
We now know what doesn’t work. It’s time to try something that will.
For the cost of one year’s ineffective spending, we could give every unhoused person in America a stable home—a real, permanent solution. Instead of recycling the same failed policies, let’s embrace bold, creative solutions that prioritize housing first.
The answer is clear. The question is: Will we finally act?
