“Happy Days” actor Scott Baio announced on Wednesday that he is moving out of California, citing the state’s homeless crisis as one of the reasons why.
Long-time Los Angeles resident Baio, who played Chachi on the hit 1970s sitcom, said the Golden State is “not a safe place anymore” and pointed to soft-on-crime policies.
“After 45 years, I’m making my way to finally ‘exit stage right’ from California,” the retired actor said, adding statistics about homelessness to his tweet.
“[Homelessness] brings down property value. Also no consequences for crime that is rampant, making things higher in price and it’s just not a safe place anymore. #ImFree,” Baio wrote.
![Scott Baio at podium](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/05/640/320/GettyImages-1009766340-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Baio said his fellow Californians wouldn’t “miss his ‘right wing’ views.”
When a Twitter user implied that Baio would not be missed, the “Charles in Charge” actor shot back: “Maybe not, but they’ll certainly miss the high taxes I pay!”
Baio said he’s “always been a conservative voter.”
Baio listed his Woodland Hills home for $3.85 million in April. His 6,300-square-foot property includes five bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms and a home theater.
Baio is not the first celebrity to leave California. Matthew McConaughey, Joe Rogan, Mark Wahlberg and others have packed their bags citing similar concerns.
![Scott Baio and Henry Winkler acting in 'Happy Days'](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/05/640/320/GettyImages-94261347.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Between April 2020 and July 2022, around 500,000 people moved out of California.
A survey published in March found that half of the American homeless population lives in California: roughly 115,500 people out of 233,800.
![Homeless people in San Francisco](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/04/640/320/San-Francisco-Homelessness-Mission-District_17.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The overall homeless population in the state increased by about 6% since 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.