by Craig Wiesner – San Mateo Daily Journal – Jan 9, 2024
How much would you give to regain someone you had lost or save the life of someone you might soon lose? Most people, especially Christians, know the story of the Prodigal Son who, before his father was anywhere near death, insisted on taking what would be his inheritance, went off to a distant land, spent it on debauchery, and then, facing starvation, sheepishly returned, willing to be a slave if only his father would have him back. His father, upon seeing him in the distance, rejoiced, and told his servants to kill a fatted calf and prepare a feast to celebrate his son’s return. His other son, who had stayed home and worked hard, was furious at his father’s response to his brother’s return.
A dear friend of ours, a young woman who sparkles with love and light, was shocked when her doctor told her that she had Stage 4 cancer, a terrifying diagnosis with a dire prognosis. A year later, through miracles made possible, in part, by Joe Biden’s “moonshot” cancer initiatives, she was able to report to her friends and family that she was completely cancer free. I can’t imagine anyone reading this column thinking “Yeah, but how much money did they spend to save that one life? Why should any of my tax dollars be spent on that? Is someone auditing how that money is spent to make sure it isn’t being wasted?” Yet, those are the questions I’ve gotten each time I’ve written a story about programs successfully tackling homelessness. Perhaps you are one of those naysayers, now thinking, “but homelessness is different – the homeless person is to blame for their situation!” Is it too far from Christmas for me to say “humbug?”
A woman I met told me this story. “I was in a terrible car accident and when I came out of surgery my husband was by my side, crying, so happy that I had survived. Then he told me something shocking. My brother, whom I hadn’t seen in 25 years, was also in the hospital. He had been homeless for many years and had suffered a heart attack and got bypass surgery. A few months later, we were both healed and he was off drugs, rebuilding his life with the help of a local nonprofit. I never dreamed I would have him back but there he was! I was so grateful.”
Let’s do some math. Treating Stage 4 cancer for a year costs between $50,000 and $200,000. Bypass surgery costs between $50,000 and $200,000. We spent $6.5 billion on bypass surgery and $173 billion on cancer care in 2020. Worth it? Most people would say yes, though I have to toss in my belief that if we had universal health care like other countries we’d spend less and get the same or better results
Now, let’s look at the fight against homelessness. LifeMoves, a core organization working to end homelessness in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, invested nearly $60 million dollars in 2022 to serve just over 7,000 clients. That equals around $8,500 per client. Worth it? I think so. Yes, in the last five years California has spent nearly $20 billion dollars trying to move people from homelessness into stable lives and housing. Is there waste amidst that spending? Yes. People will correctly point to the San Francisco debacle of trying to turn an old parking lot into a space where homeless folks could live in RVs. Millions of dollars and a few years later, six people have lived in that parking lot, in miserable conditions.
In my columns I’ve shared the stories of County Executive Officer Mike Callagy and his dedication to eradicating homelessness here, LifeMoves operating the Navigation Center and other sites across the region, HIP Housing, and JobTrain, who help thousands of people each year move from tenuous lives to stable, productive, and secure lives. And they all do so with complete transparency, their audited financials and GuideStar.org ratings a testament to how every penny is spent and how success is measured. San Mateo County agencies and NGOs gather monthly, using a proven national crime-fighting process, for mutual support and accountability. On next year’s ballot is a measure that would increase auditing and require detailed success metrics for money the state spends on homelessness.
I believe money invested in this county on eliminating homelessness is worth it. Lives are saved, many who were once lost are found. Each human life is precious and whether we save a life through cancer treatment, heart surgery, or a program to overcome other obstacles humans encounter, we can either be the angry brother or the joyous father celebrating the return of his prodigal son. I choose joy.