Scott Baio Announces He’s Leaving California As Homeless Crisis Escalates

The former “Happy Days” star Scott Baio, who is known for being one of the only conservative stars in Hollywood, has announced that he’s leaving the liberal-run state of California as the homeless crisis there continues to escalate.

Baio Leaving California – Selling Mansion 

“After 45 years, I’m making my way to finally ‘exit stage right’ from California,” he tweeted.

Baio, 62, went on to add a quote that appears to be from a news story, writing, “The most recent survey conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority found approximately 69,000 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County and 41,000 in the city in 2022.”

The Los Angeles Daily News reported last month that Baio had put his mansion in Woodland Hills, California on the market for $3.45 million. The mansion is described as a “6,312-square-foot Mediterranean style has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a new French country-style kitchen.”

Baio had bought the property for $1.85 million back in 2010, according to Realtor.com.

Related: Scott Baio Trashes ‘Happy Days’ Reunion Fundraiser For Biden And Wannabe ‘Chachi’ John Stamos

California’s Mass Exodus

Baio did not say at the time where he was going, but it’s clear from his tweet that he plans to join the mass exodus from California. Last month, Daily Mail reported that an estimated 500,000 people left California between April 2020 and July 2022. H.D. Palmer, the deputy director of external affairs at the California Department of Finance, told the Sacramento Bee that this exodus is caused by the ongoing housing affordability crisis.

“If you talk to demographers, they’ll say that one of the factors is the cost of housing,” he said. “And that’s continued to be a challenging issue for the state.”

The California homeless crisis has also made living in the state unbearable for many. The Public Policy Institute Of California reported earlier this year that “as of 2022, 30% of all people in the United States experiencing homelessness resided in California, including half of all unsheltered people (115,491 in California; 233,832 in the US).”

“Since 2020, California’s overall homeless population has increased about 6%, compared to just 0.4% in the rest of the country,” the PPIC continued. “A 17% increase in the homeless but sheltered population accounts for almost all of California’s change, while the more visible unsheltered population increased 2%.”

Related: Scott Baio And Dean Cain Blast Liberal Hollywood For Being Anti-Trump

Baio Sounds Off On California Crime

As a proud and outspoken conservative, Baio has also undoubtedly been very frustrated with the way Democrats have been running California for years. Last September, Baio called in to the Clay & Buck show to talk about just how bad crime in California has gotten under the liberal policies there.

“I see people… When I drive with my kid, I gotta turn her head away. She’s 14 years old. I see people defecating on the sidewalk,” Baio lamented. “You see people in parks shooting up. There’s people passed out everywhere. I mean it. It’s not the isolated. It’s all over the place. And I’m about ready to get out of the state. So, you know, just so you guys know, that it’s no joke out here.”

“I think, probably since Governor Newsom, it’s really gotten bad, and maybe a little before that. So, maybe four or five years ago,” he continued. “It’s just… It’s out of control, guys. Listen, I’ve been here for 45, almost 50 years. I’ve seen this place go from an absolute paradise into a cesspool…”

No wonder Baio wants to get as far away from California! We wish him the best of luck in wherever he decides to go next.