Continuing to lead discussions about how to solve the nation’s homelessness crisis, Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-San Pedro, recently announced that the Caucus on Homelessness will resume in the current session of Congress.
The group’s goal is to analyze the complex factors that contribute to homelessness, educate members of Congress about federal programs that serve the homeless, advocate for continued funding for these programs and explore policies related to housing and services for people experiencing homelessness.
The caucus had been inactive for several years before Barragán and a few of her House colleagues reestablished it during the last congressional session.
“I wanted to bring renewed attention and focus to the issue and find a platform for members across the country to highlight legislation, ideas, and challenges facing communities,” Barragán said.
The L.A. County legislator will co-chair the caucus alongside Democratic Reps. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, Sylvia Garcia of Texas and Delia C. Ramirez of Illinois.
Four other Southern California lawmakers have also joined the caucus: Reps. Ted Lieu of L.A. County, Lou Correa of Orange County, Mark Takano of Riverside County and Sara Jacobs of San Diego County.
All current caucus members are Democrats, but Barragán said the group welcomes anyone with positive ideas, including Republicans.
Nationwide, nearly 771,500 people experienced homelessness on any given night in 2024 — the most ever recorded — according to the latest Annual Homelessness Assessment Report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
California alone has over 187,000 homeless people, nearly a quarter of the nation’s homeless population, according to the HUD report.
And Los Angeles County — where Barragán is from — leads the state in the number of folks experiencing homelessness: L.A. County reported a homeless population of more than 75,000 while the city of L.A. had over 45,000, based on a 2024 homeless count. Official results from the 2025 homeless count are expected to be released later this spring or summer.
Orange County’s latest homeless population is estimated to be about 7,300. Riverside County, which conducts a count every other year, reported a homeless population of about 3,725 people in 2023. And an estimated 3,055 people were homeless in San Bernardino County in 2024.
“Housing insecurity often stems from one bad break that can happen to any of us — an unexpected medical emergency that bankrupts a household, lack of affordable housing, an exceptionally high cost of living, or a lack of care and support for the veterans in our communities,” Barragán said. “Everyone deserves to be housed, but this basic human right is out of reach for too many in the United States.”
Read on to find out more about Barragán’s goals for the caucus. Questions and answers have been lightly edited only for clarity or brevity.
Q: What specific ideas do you have for tackling the root causes of homelessness? How much would it cost to implement such solutions, and how would the federal government pay for them?
A: There is no shortcut that will immediately address homelessness on a national level. The challenges are similar, but still varied in communities across the country, so a “one-size-fits-all” approach will not work.
If we know the root causes of homelessness, we must invest to resolve those causes. We need to invest in affordable housing, fight for the people’s right to receive wages that allow them to make ends meet, increase mental health services and make sure we are better assisting our veterans so that they may receive the care they require.
The total cost of these solutions and the role that the federal government will play in implementing them will be a key focus of the Caucus on Homelessness.
Q: A lot of people are concerned about the economy and potential cuts to social safety net programs that could push more Americans to the brink of homelessness. What key programs would you fight to keep intact if cuts are made to the federal budget?
A: Government services such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) are all essential programs that help millions of Americans to remain housed. House Democrats are dedicated to ensuring that these programs continue to aid millions of Americans.
Other key programs that we will fight to keep intact are the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grant programs.
Q: How confident are you that this caucus will be able to move the needle on homelessness issues, given how divided Congress is? Similarly, how confident are you that solutions proposed by Congress will get President Donald Trump’s seal of approval?
A: Tackling the issue of homelessness will be an uphill battle and challenging to resolve, especially when so many on the other side of the aisle prioritize the wealthy over hardworking American families. House Democrats believe that housing is not a right that we can compromise on and are determined to fight to invest in affordable housing so that Americans may continue to have a roof over their heads.
Good ideas, with buy-in from states and local governments and communities, can move the needle in the Republican Party and the (Trump) administration. Good ideas to address our homelessness challenge should not be partisan. Many Republican officials at the state and local level are looking to solve these same challenges.
Q: What do you expect this caucus to accomplish in the next year? What’s your No. 1 tangible goal for the caucus?
A: To address the root causes of homelessness, we need to make investments in areas that are lacking.
Unfortunately, with the current administration, accomplishing something this year will most likely mean defending critical programs from drastic cuts and pushing for increased funding where we can. This means saving funding for and safeguarding housing programs such as Home Funds and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Programs, as well as defending key policies like (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s) Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule and Equal Access Rule that would promote equitable housing access and reduce the number of unhoused people in the country.
Proactively, I’d like for the caucus to look at state and local programs that have made real progress and spotlight and amplify those efforts here in Congress and back home in our districts.