# $170 Million Homeless Scam: How Ghost “Urgent Care” Companies & Crooked California Developers Are Stealing Funds Straight From Your Taxes w/ Eric Nissen — Ask Dr. Drew – Ep 601

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ask-dr-drew-259999/170-million-homeless-scam-how-ghost-urgent-care-companies-crooked-california-developers-are-stealing-funds-straight-from-your-taxes-w-eric-nissen-ask-dr-drew-ep-601
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ask-dr-drew-259999/170-million-homeless-scam-how-ghost-urgent-care-companies-crooked-california-developers-are-stealing-funds-straight-from-your-taxes-w-eric-nissen-ask-dr-drew-ep-601.md
Podcast: [Ask Dr. Drew](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ask-dr-drew-259999)
Published: 2026-03-27T20:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://drdrew.com/2026/170-million-homeless-scam-how-ghost-urgent-care-companies-crooked-california-developers-are-stealing-funds-straight-from-your-taxes-w-eric-nissen-ask-dr-drew/
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/DRPI2889515597.mp3?updated=1774646127
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ask-dr-drew-259999/episodes/170-million-homeless-scam-how-ghost-urgent-care-companies-crooked-california-developers-are-stealing-funds-straight-from-your-taxes-w-eric-nissen-ask-dr-drew-ep-601
Duration seconds: 4049

## Resource

California’s state-level homelessness spending is about $1.5 billion per year… and that figure doesn’t even include the ~$900 million spent by Los Angeles. But if there are still 131,000 homeless in the state, where is all the money going? Independent journalist Eric Nissen found an alarming pattern: ghost businesses with no operating hours, developers pocketing millions in a single flip, and a fraudster who was running FIVE businesses out of a single storage closet. Eric Nissen reveals the shocking reality behind the state’s escalating crisis, detailing a staggering $170 million in fraud linked to homeless initiatives like Project Homekey. Independent California gubernatorial candidate Elaine Culotti breaks down the reality of media election interference after being intentionally excluded from the major ABC7/USC debate. Dr. Charlie Powell, a decorated war veteran and physician, exposes how modern medicine abandons trauma survivors by numbing their pain with pills rather than offering real solutions. Eric Nissen is a citizen journalist based in Los Angeles who is exposing fraud being practiced all over the city. He has worked with Nick Shirley on uncovering hospice fraud. Follow at https://x.com/InnerRhythmWave Elaine Culotti is an independent California gubernatorial candidate. The renowned entrepreneur, designer, sustainable farmer, and former star of Discovery+ reality series “Undercover Billionaire,” is focusing on addressing California’s escalating wildfire crisis. Leveraging her extensive background in construction and development, she advocates for practical, community-driven solutions to enhance resilience against such disasters. Follow at https://x.com/lipstickfarmer Charles “Dr. Charlie” Powell is a decorated former Naval Lieutenant Commander, war veteran, mu…

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