After touring a San Francisco public housing development renovated with local funding, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Dr. Ben Carson said he wanted to work with local governments to address homelessness.
"I don't see any reason quite frankly why we have to have homelessness in this country," Carson said. "Given the resources that we have. Given the intellect. The ability to innovate."
As a model, Carson cited Tokyo, which he said had no visible homeless. "And obviously, if they can do it we can do it, too."
Before Carson arrived Tuesday morning, dozens of protesters from the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness, chanting "housing not handcuffs," carried signs outside the housing development on Potrero Hill.
The group is critical of Trump administration policies, including a proposal in his 2020 budget to eliminate Community Development Block Grants and other HUD programs aimed at helping keep people in housing they can afford.
"It's disingenuous to tout public housing as such a great thing, when this very administration has been cutting the funding," said Sara Shortt with the Coalition on Homelessness.
Shortt also criticized the Trump administration for, in her words, wanting to "deregulate housing," saying things like rent control and tenant protections from unwarranted evictions were critical to keeping people in their homes.
"Without those things people become homeless."
Asked about a request by Gov. Gavin Newsom to increase the number of federal housing vouchers by 50,000, Carson said there are already vouchers available that aren't being used efficiently, although he did not elaborate.
"You know, there is really not a whole lot of point in throwing more money at things, at something where you're not even utilizing the ones that are there," Carson said. "So let's figure out how we can use them efficiently and effectively."
The secretary also called out specific California policies he said contribute to the lack of affordable housing.
"I believe in data. And evidence shows us quite clearly that the places that have the most regulation also have the highest prices. And the most homelessness," Carson said.
He mentioned local opposition, or "NIMBYism," as another reason housing projects get derailed.
Carson said he'd like to work with local officials to address homelessness, although the office of Mayor London Breed said she had not been invited to the event, and that an offer to meet with Carson while he was in town went unanswered.
Carson is shadowing the itinerary of President Trump, who landed in the Bay Area for a high-priced fundraiser before flying south for a fundraiser in Beverly Hills and an appearance in San Diego.
Carson, too, is heading for Los Angeles and San Diego, although it wasn't exactly clear why he's following the president.
Trump has been extremely critical of California in general, recently calling out homelessness as an example of what results from liberal Democratic policies.
Trump's attorney, Rudy Giuliani, suggested last week that the administration was looking at using federal resources to get homeless people off the streets, although no specific plan has been announced.
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