Fareed Zakaria says homelessness worst in Democrat‑run blue cities
Fareed Zakaria told viewers on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher on Oct. 3, 2026 that the most acute homelessness problems in the United States are found in Democratic‑run blue cities, even though those municipalities are spending large sums to address the issue.
The observation matters because it challenges the conventional narrative that underfunding on the right is the primary driver of homelessness, and it raises questions about how local policies and market forces shape shelter outcomes across the country.
“Let me say something that’s going to get me into trouble, which is, if you look at where you have the most acute homelessness problems, they are blue cities in blue states, to a large extent… We’re spending crazy amounts of money on it, but there is this other side to it, which is overprivileging the rights of the homeless over the rights of the other 99.5%.”
Zakaria emphasized that the problem is not a lack of money, noting that places like New York City and Los Angeles allocate “crazy amounts” to homelessness programs. Yet he argued that over‑prioritizing the rights of the homeless can create unintended consequences for the broader population.
He pointed to cities such as Miami, Houston and Dallas as examples where homelessness is less severe, attributing their relative success to a stronger capacity for building new housing. “Part of it is that those places are much better at building stuff,” he said, contrasting them with New York and California, where “we just can’t build housing, of any kind, right? Affordable, homeless, whatever it is, and people don’t want it.”
In a related segment, Zakaria described a “housing‑industrial complex” that receives billions of dollars through no‑bid contracts and has a financial incentive to keep people homeless. “If they lose half the homeless population, they get half the money,” he warned, suggesting that the structure of funding can perpetuate the crisis.
Commentary from author Anand Giridharadas suggested that homeless individuals may avoid cities that treat them poorly, a point Zakaria dismissed as “not fair” but admitted he lacks definitive evidence. The exchange highlighted the broader debate over whether policy, market incentives, or local governance is the primary driver of homelessness trends.
As the discussion circulates on social media and among policymakers, analysts say the conversation could influence upcoming housing legislation and city‑level budget decisions, especially in states with large Democratic majorities. The next weeks are likely to see heightened scrutiny of how funds are allocated and whether reforms to streamline housing construction will be pursued.
