For every homeless person in San Francisco who becomes housed with the help of government, four more people become homeless, according to a new report. This Sisyphean track record offers important lessons for other cities. Unfortunately, measures on the city’s November ballot ignore proven solutions and double down on misguided policies.

San Francisco’s first mistake is misdiagnosing the problem. The city’s political class thinks homelessness is primarily caused by insufficient housing. In truth, homelessness is more often caused by substance abuse and mental illness. That mistake has caused the city to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into “affordable” or “permanent” housing programs.

In 2016, city leaders created the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH). Since its inception, HSH has received $3.5 billion, while the number of people experiencing homelessness in the city annually has increased by 63 percent. About 50–60 percent of HSH’s funding in a typical year supports various permanent-housing programs.