How Matt Mahan Thinks He Can Save California

The gist

1. State spending rose 75% over six years with no improvement in housing, homelessness, or public safety, pointing to an incentives problem rather than a funding gap.
2. Mahan cut unsheltered homelessness by one-third in San Jose by using $85,000 shelter cabins instead of million-dollar housing units and enforcing consequences for repeat drug offenses.
3. California's housing crisis is driven by zoning rules, environmental reviews, and construction liability fees that together add around 20% to the cost of building.
4. Mahan backs zero-based budgeting and public performance dashboards so voters can see whether officials are delivering real results rather than just spending money.