Obama calls LA homelessness an ‘atrocity,’ slams current strategy

Former President Barack Obama criticized the homelessness disaster in Los Angeles, calling it an “atrocity” given the billions of {dollars} elected officers have poured into the issue through the years.

Obama spoke with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen as he addressed criticism that native residents and enterprise homeowners have voiced for years.

“I feel it is an abomination morally — ethically talking — that in a rustic that’s so rich, we simply have folks on the streets, and we now have to push for insurance policies that acknowledge their full humanity — people who find themselves homeless — and may get them the assistance and assets that they want,” Obama mentioned.

DAVID MARCUS: I’ve seen sufficient human struggling in homeless camps to know Trump’s new insurance policies are proper

Former Barack Obama referred to as Los Angeles County’s homelessness disaster an “atrocity” throughout a podcast look. (Getty Photos)

“We’ve got to acknowledge that the typical particular person does not wish to navigate a tent metropolis in the midst of downtown,” he added. “That could be a dropping political technique.”

Obama famous that constructing help for applications and assets to assist folks dwelling on the streets should include a level of accountability for these to whom the help is obtainable.

“We’re not going to have the ability to generate help for it if we merely say, ‘You realize what, it isn’t their fault and so they need to have the ability to do no matter they need,’ as a result of that is a dropping political technique,” he mentioned.

FORMER OBAMA OFFICIAL JOINS THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT IN FREEK ABOUT HER RECORD AMIDST THE HOUSING CRISIS DEBATE

An individual walks amongst massive piles of trash in a sprawling homeless encampment close to East 14th Road in downtown Los Angeles on September 25, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Instances by way of Getty Photos)

“That does not imply we care any much less about these folks,” he added. “It implies that if we actually care about them, we now have to strive to determine the way to get the help of the bulk and be sensible by way of what we are able to get by means of proper now and construct on these victories,” he added.

Fox Information Digital has reached out to California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

California has spent billions to fight homelessness. In his State of the State deal with final month, California Governor Gavin Newsom touted a 9% drop in homelessness statewide.

In January, he introduced new investments to create extra shelters and companies.

A homeless camp in Koreatown on September 12, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Instances by way of Getty Photos)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Nobody on this nation ought to be with no place to name residence. In California, we’re proving there’s a answer,” Newsom mentioned in January. “The methods we have put in place are working they usually’re turning this disaster round – however we’re not finished but. We can’t cease till everybody has a secure, secure place to name residence.”