ELIZABETH: TO THE FIE
ELIZABETH: TO THE FIGHT BETWEEN
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND
CALIFORNIA ON STOPPING
CALIFORNIA'S SKYROCKETING
HOMELESSNESS.
AN ESTIMATED 130,000 PEOPLE IN
CALIFORNIA ARE HOMELESS.
MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE.
HOMELESSNESS UP NEARLY 50% IN
OAKLAND.
MORE THAN 40% IN SAN JOSE,
DOUBLE DIGITS IN SAN FRANCISCO.
WITH US NOW DR. BEN CARSON, THE
SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN
DEVELOPMENT.
GREAT TO SEE YOU, SIR.
>> MY PLEASURE, THANK YOU.
ELIZABETH: WHAT IS THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN ON
HOMELESSNESS IN CALIFORNIA?
WE KEEP HEARING IT COULD BE
READY FOR THE PRESIDENT'S REVIEW
IN COMING WEEKS.
>> YES, WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT
TO HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE
HAVE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE
FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS, AS WELL AS THE
NONPROFITS, THE FOR PROFITS, THE
FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, SO,
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE IDEAL
SITUATION.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO ALL OF
THOSE VARIOUS ENTITIES.
AND WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT BOTH
THE ACUTE PHASE AND THE CHRONIC
PHASE AND RECOGNIZE THAT YOU
HAVE A WHOLE HOST OF DIFFERENT
KINDS OF REASONS FOR PEOPLE TO
BE HOMELESS.
YOU HAVE THOSE WHO ARE DRUG
ADDICTED.
YOU HAVE THOSE WHO HAVE MENTAL
PROBLEMS.
YOU HAVE THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN
ON HARD TIMES BECAUSE OF A JOB
OR FAMILY ILLNESS, DIVORCE.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY ONE SOLUTION
DOES NOT FIT ALL OF THEM.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME
HEALTH HAZARD ISSUES THAT ARE
GOING ON BECAUSE OF THE FACT
THAT WE'RE LEAVING PEOPLE ON THE
STREETS.
THERE'S FECES, URINE, NEEDLES,
AND THESE ARE THE KINDS OF
THINGS THAT SET UP A SITUATION
WHERE YOU COULD HAVE A MAJOR
EPIDEMIC.
SO WE NEED TO FIX IT.
AND THAT MEANS TAKING PEOPLE OFF
THE STREET AND PUTTING THEM IN A
LOCATION THAT IS SAFE, BUT ALSO
A LOCATION IN WHICH WE CAN
PROVIDE SOME OF THE WRAP-AROUND
SERVICES, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST
A MATTER OF GETTING THEM OFF THE
STREET.
IT IS A MATTER OF FIGURING OUT
WHY YOU ARE ON THE STREET IN THE
FIRST PLACE.
THEN THIRDLY, SEEING IF IT CAN
BE FIXED.
THAT'S WHAT REAL COMPASSION IS.
AND SOMEHOW WE HAVE GOTTEN OFF
BASE AND STARTED THINKING THAT
COMPASSION IS JUST LEAVING THE
PEOPLE OUT THERE AND LETTING
THEM DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
ELIZABETH: THE ADMINISTRATION IS
CONSIDERING SHELTERING PEOPLE ON
FEDERAL PROPERTY.
THEN YOU HAVE THE GOVERNOR OF
CALIFORNIA SAYING TO THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION YOU KNOW GIVE US
THE MONEY WE WANT FOR FEDERAL
HOUSING VOUCHERS THAT COULD
BENEFIT 50,000 HOMELESS PEOPLE.
WILL THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE SAY
YES USE FEDERAL PROPERTY TO
SHELTER HOMELESS PEOPLE IN
CALIFORNIA?
>> THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE
A COMBINATION OF THINGS, BUT THE
ONE THING THAT WE KNOW THAT
DOESN'T WORK IS JUST THROWING
MONEY AT IT BECAUSE THE MORE
MONEY YOU THROW AT IT, THE
HIGHER THE PRICES GO.
THE REGULATIONS CONTINUE TO
GROW, AND YOU'LL NEVER CATCH UP.
YOU'RE JUST CHASING YOUR TAIL.
SO IT'S SORT OF LIKE IN
MEDICINE, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT
THE PERSON WHO HAS A FEVER.
YOU DON'T JUST TREAT THE FEVER.
YOU SAY WHAT IS CAUSING THE
FEVER?
AND YOU GO TO THAT.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO
WITH THE HOUSING CRISIS OR WE'LL
NEVER CATCH UP.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO WORK WITH
THE GOVERNOR.
WE'RE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE
MAYOR, WITH THE COUNTY,
COMMISSIONERS, ALL THESE PEOPLE,
BUT WE HAVE TO DO THINGS THAT
MAKE SENSE AND WE HAVE TO LOOK
AT THE DATA.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE
AND DO THINGS BASED ON THAT.
ELIZABETH: DOCTOR, I WANT TO
SWITCH GEARS, MILITARY VETERANS
AND THEIR HOMELESSNESS IS A
SERIOUS PROBLEM.
A REALLY INTERESTING TREND IN,
FOR EXAMPLE, IN MILWAUKEE AND
KANSAS CITY, VETERANS GROUPS ARE
HELPING TO BUILD WHAT ARE CALLED
TINY HOMES FOR MILITARY
VETERANS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HUD HAS
CONSIDERED?
>> YES, IN FACT, YOU KNOW, LAST
SUMMER, WE HAD ON THE MALL, ON
THE NATIONAL MALL A SHOWCASE OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND IT
INCLUDED TINY HOUSES, CONTAINER
HOUSES, TALKING ABOUT
MANUFACTURED HOUSING, AND 3D
PRINTED HOUSING, ALL KINDS OF
TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
AND I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, AS FAR
AS VETERAN HOMELESSNESS IS
CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, OVER THE
LAST DECADE, IT'S BEEN CUT IN
HALF, AND FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS
YEAR, IT'S GONE DOWN BY ANOTHER
2%.
SO WE'RE MAKING VERY GOOD
PROGRESS THERE.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
SEVERAL CITIES AND LOCALITIES
HAVE DECLARED ZERO VETERANS
HOMELESSNESS.
ELIZABETH: HUD SECRETARY DR. BEN
CARSON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
