A UCLA study from the Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy found that Los Angeles’ CARE+ program, the city’s flagship homeless services initiative, primarily displaces unhoused residents rather than connecting them with meaningful support. Researchers observed that for every one person CARE+ connected with services, five were forced to move, with most interactions involving police and sanitation workers rather than outreach staff.

Th=he study drew on 16 field observations and 51 interviews with people impacted by the program, concluding that CARE+ “mainly [serves] to displace those people rather than to offer them services.” Survey responses revealed that more than a third of respondents were forced to move five or more times in a month, and nearly all had experienced a forced move within the past week. Invisible People reports, many lost essential belongings, including bedding, identity documents, and personal items, exacerbating trauma and health risks.

UCLA researchers emphasized that CARE+ “does not live up to its name. Rather than caring for unhoused persons, the program is being used to punish them…while rarely providing useful services.” The report raises concerns about the program’s cost—$36 million in direct spending next year—while noting that encampment removal models like CARE+ are spreading nationwide, often prioritizing enforcement over supportive services.

Read the full report.