By Kristen Hwang, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  USC’s Brett Feldman does a checkup on his patient Gary Dela Cruz on the side of the road near an encampment in downtown Los Angeles. Photo by Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters

December 12, 2022 (Los Angeles) - Living on the streets of California is a deadly affair. The life expectancy of an unsheltered person is 50, according to national estimates, nearly 30 years less than that of the average Californian.