Executive Summary

California faces two urgent, interconnected crises: homelessness and wildfire risk. Nearly one in three unhoused Americans live in this state, while wildfires destroy homes, cost billions, and threaten communities every summer. Addressing these challenges together is not only possible — it is essential.

This white paper proposes an integrated statewide model that invests in Family Safety Camps, Senior Low-Income Housing, Wildfire Reduction Safety Camps, and New Essential Tools and Staff for Fire Districts, supported by tax reform that ends subsidies for multiple homes.  Together, these measures will reduce homelessness, improve public safety, and strengthen California’s resilience.

I. Homelessness Diminishment

1. Family Safety Camps

Modeled after KOA-style campgrounds, Family Safety Camps provide immediate stability while preserving dignity.

Features:

• PO Boxes for stable addresses.
• Community Center with Cafeteria for daily nutrition and social connection.
• Library and Computer Lab for education, job searches, and digital access.
• On-Site Services: child tutoring, job training, health and mental health care, and substance recovery programs.
• Transit Access: Sites must be located near bus stops or mass transit to ensure families can reach schools, workplaces, and healthcare.

Outcomes: Families remain intact, children continue in school, parents regain stability, and long-term housing pathways open.

2. Senior Low-Income Housing

Older adults represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the homeless population. Seniors deserve safety, dignity, and access to care.

Proposed Actions:

• Build affordable senior apartment complexes near urban centers.
• Ensure proximity to public transit for healthcare, shopping, and community access.
• Provide on-site social workers for medical referrals, nutrition support, and social programs.
• Guarantee two-year tenancy with pathways to permanent housing or assisted living.

Outcomes: Fewer seniors on the streets, lower ER costs, improved quality of life, and a visible sign of California’s compassion.

Bridging Homelessness and Wildfire Resilience

California cannot afford to view homelessness and wildfire risk as separate problems. Both stem from systemic gaps in housing, land management, and prevention funding.

Family Safety Camps and Senior Housing provide a foundation of stability for vulnerable Californians. Wildfire Reduction Safety Camps extend this model by connecting shelter with paid work that directly protects communities. Together, they form an integrated statewide system: reducing homelessness, lowering fire danger, and saving taxpayer dollars through prevention.

II. Wildfire Reduction Safety Camps

Paid Workforce Model

• Workers hired as paid state employees (seasonal CalHR forestry classifications).
• Wages: $3,600–$4,200/month ($45–55k annually).
• Training & Certification: Forestry, brush clearance, grazing management, GIS basics.
• Support Staff: Supervisors, EMT/Nurse, social worker, and logistics coordinator.

Camp Infrastructure

• Cabins/Dorms: Modular housing for 25–50 workers.
• Cafeteria & Kitchen: Dining and meal prep for crews.
• Sanitation & Laundry: Essential hygiene facilities.
• Medical Station: On-site first aid with telehealth.
• Workshop & Tool Storage: Secure equipment facilities.
• Pastures & Herds: 200–400 goats/sheep per camp for rotational grazing.

Annual Cost per Camp: ~$4.1M (including amortized infrastructure).
Scale with $160M Budget: ~38 camps statewide, employing ~1,050–1,500 workers and deploying ~12,000–15,000 ungulates.

Outputs

• 30,000–40,000 acres/year treated through clearance and grazing.
• Measurable insurance relief by targeting high non-renewal WUI ZIP codes.
• Reduced suppression costs (currently $2–3B annually).
• Pathways to stability for workers moving into permanent housing and jobs.

III. Fire District GIS and Satellite Support

To maximize impact, every camp and fire district must know exactly where to work.

Proposal:

• Equip ~150–200 fire districts with GIS platforms and satellite subscriptions (vegetation density, soil moisture, fire-weather models).
• Fund training + 2 analysts per district to monitor risk and assign crews.
• Share data with CalFire and Safety Camps for real-time deployment.

Annual Allocation: ~$64M (20% of new revenue).

IV. Funding the California Model

Tax Reform

California currently subsidizes multiple homes through mortgage interest and property tax deductions. Ending these subsidies ensures that taxpayer dollars support public good, not vacation homes.

• Mortgage Interest Deduction (Second Homes): +$190M/year.
• Property Tax Deduction (Second Homes): +$70M–$188M/year.
• Combined New Revenue: ~$260M–$380M/year (midpoint $320M).

Allocation of $320M Annual Revenue

Category	Share	Annual $	Deliverables
Homelessness (Family + Senior Housing)	30%	$96M	4–6 Family Camps, 3–4 senior complexes
Fire District GIS & Satellite	20%	$64M	GIS systems + analysts for 150–200 districts
Wildfire Safety Camps	50%	$160M	30–40 camps, 25–50 staff each, ~12,000 ungulates
Total	100%	$320M	Integrated system: housing, fire protection, resilience

V. Federal Lands and State Role

California’s greatest wildfire risks often originate on federally managed lands. While the state cannot seize federal land, it can expand Good Neighbor Authority agreements and deploy Safety Camps under cooperative contracts.

Policy Options:

• Unrealistic: State assumption of federal lands.
• Limited: Current Good Neighbor agreements.
• Recommended: Expanded Good Neighbor + Safety Camps, with federal cost-sharing.

Conclusion

California can solve homelessness and wildfire risk together. By investing in Family Safety Camps, Senior Housing, Fire District technology, and Wildfire Safety Camps, funded through fair tax reform, the state can:

• Reduce street homelessness.
• Protect towns and property from wildfire.
• Save taxpayer dollars through prevention.
• Build a model for the nation.

Policy Message:

“Here in California — we got you. We house our people, protect our towns from wildfire, and invest in solutions that work. While others criminalize poverty, California builds safety, dignity, and resilience.”

Works Cited

“ABC7 Data: Southern California ZIP Codes Hardest Hit by Dropped Insurance Policies.” ABC7 Los Angeles, 2023, https://abc7.com/post/dropped-home-insurance-southern-california-zip-codes-have-highest-renewal-rates/15874380/.

California Department of Finance. Tax Expenditure Report, 2024–25. Sacramento: Department of Finance, 2024.

California Department of Human Resources. Civil Service Pay Scales. May 2025 Update. Sacramento: CalHR, 2025, https://www.calhr.ca.gov.

California Department of Insurance. Wildfire Insurance Non-Renewal Data, 2023. Sacramento: CDI, 2023.

California Franchise Tax Board. Bill Analysis of AB 2616 (Lee). Sacramento: FTB, 2024.

California Franchise Tax Board. Bill Analysis of AB 946. Sacramento: FTB, 2021.

CalMatters. “Nearly 14 Million Californians Live in Wildfire-Prone Areas.” CalMatters, Jan. 2025, https://calmatters.org/environment/wildfires/2025/01/la-county-fires-wildland-urban-interface/.

Dryad Networks. “Understanding the Wildland–Urban Interface.” Dryad Blog, 2023, https://www.dryad.net/post/understanding-the-wildland-urban-interface.

Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps. CAL FIRE / Office of the State Fire Marshal, 2022.

Kiplinger. “Denied and Abandoned: The Rise of Unregulated Insurers and the Homeowners Left Behind.” Kiplinger Personal Finance, 2025, https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/home-insurance/the-rise-of-unregulated-insurers-and-the-homeowners-left-behind.

National Coalition for the Homeless. Interview with Donald Whitehead Jr. Amanpour and Company. PBS, 30 July 2025. Transcript, https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company.

Radeloff, Volker C., et al. “The Wildland–Urban Interface in the United States.” Ecological Applications, vol. 25, no. 3, 2015, pp. 699–710.

San Francisco Chronicle. “California Home Insurer to Drop 37,000 Policies as Part of Nationwide Withdrawal.” San Francisco Chronicle, 2025, https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/home-insurance-qbe-leave-21031185.php.

Service Employees International Union Local 1000. “Budget Fight: 3% Base Pay Increase and Leave Offset.” SEIU Local 1000 News, 2025, https://www.seiu1000.org/budgetfight/.

The Guardian. “California Vineyards Struggle with Wildfire Damage and Unaffordable Insurance.” The Guardian, 30 Aug. 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/30/california-vineyards-wildfire-damage-wine.