Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement on President Trump’s remarks concerning homelessness in California:

“President Trump is right that homelessness is a big problem in California. But how he explains the situation is wrong and raises significant concerns that his so-called solutions will only make matters worse.

“California’s big cities aren’t ‘destroying themselves,’ as the president said yesterday. In fact California cities and the state government are devoting billions of dollars and immense energy to tackle this problem. The federal government could help that effort.

“If the president wants to help tackle homelessness, he should endorse the Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act, a bipartisan bill Senator Murkowski and I introduced. The bill authorizes $750 million a year for housing paired with comprehensive health and job services. These supportive housing models are the best way to address the factors that cause homelessness.

“The president could also help by allocating more housing vouchers to California cities, raising the value of vouchers to account for increasing rental costs and directing more caseworkers for veterans to California. What won’t help is throwing the homeless in jail, something the 9th Circuit has ruled is unconstitutional.

“Homelessness is a serious problem and it will require us to work together at every level of government to address it. Finger pointing and using homelessness as a cudgel against California won’t solve the problem.”