Homelessness In California: Severity, Causes, and Solutions
Originally, I was going to discuss homelessness in America, but since I live in California, and since it has the most homeless people in the nation, I will focus on the Golden State. Today, we’ll cover the severity of homelessness, its causes, and solutions needed to eradicate this terrible situation. Since this is a blog, not a book, we will not be able to do justice to this complex topic. My goal, as a public relations professional, is to inform you about homelessness, and persuade you to be a part of the solution.
Severity
As of 2022, California’s homeless population was a staggering 171,521, the highest in the country. Homelessness has climbed 6.2% since 2020: the 18th fastest-growing in the nation. In addition, those without housing have experienced a 23.40% rise since 2007, the 8th highest in the U.S.
We also have the highest rate of homelessness per capita: 43.7 people per 10,000 residents are homeless. One of the most shocking statistics that I discovered, is that California’s unsheltered homeless rate is 67.3%, the highest of any state. A significant majority of the state’s homeless population is not living in shelters or other temporary housing options.
Unfortunately, almost every day, I encounter a half a dozen or so of the same homeless people while travelling in Orange County, CA. Some of them scream and swear at cars passing by. I’ve noticed a dangerous trend in the last year. I’ve witnessed at least a dozen people cross the street in oncoming traffic, oftentimes not even at an intersection. They wander around, often frequenting the same locations, asking people for money or food. Some days, multiple homeless victims ask me for help. When it rains (and it’s often for days at a time), or when it’s chilly at night, my thoughts and prayers go out to these poor souls.
One lady in particular, whose name is Eve, prompted me to write this article. It breaks my heart to see her frequently roaming the I Heart Pancakes parking lot in Santa Ana. Per the photo below, you can see that her face and hair are filthy. Usually her clothes are too. I’ve often seen her smoking from her pack of cigarettes, which costs ~$10/ pack. So she needs money for both food AND her smokes (as you know, many homeless people also purchase alcohol in addition to food). Occasionally, I give her some money. But I don’t do so every day, because I don’t want her to expect my help all the time. But even if I did, this would only be a band-aid for a chronic problem that is never-ending. I don’t know why Eve is on the street. But I do know that she needs a fresh start. I asked her if she would like help to get off the street, and she said yes. I hope that I can help her soon.
Causes
One obvious question is what causes people to become homeless in California? UC San Francisco (UCSF) conducted the most comprehensive study ever, regarding California’s homelessness crisis. It was released last June. The study supports previous research which concluded that California’s persistent shortage of housing, which imposed devastating costs on low-income families, lies at the heart of the problem. Approximately one-third of California’s 40 million people live in or near-poverty. Circumstances such as an accident, unexpected illness, sudden car repair bill, or a layoff can easily lead to unpaid rent, eviction and a lack of shelter.
In the six months prior to becoming homeless, those surveyed were earning a median income of only $960 per month. The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in California is almost triple that. And though survey participants listed a variety of reasons why they lost their homes, most people cited a loss of, or reduction in income. The study explains that contrary to popular belief (myself included), those lacking shelter are overwhelmingly Californians, not migrants from other states, who largely remained in their communities after falling on hard times. However, since our Southern border is wide open, thousands of illegal immigrants are entering our state, and many of them will add to our homelessness dilemma.
Solutions
Among the solutions the researchers proposed: increasing vouchers that use federal, state and local dollars to contribute to people’s rent. They also recommended piloting shared housing programs where several households live together and split costs, while also providing money to help people remain with or move in with family or friends. The study’s lead researcher, Dr. Margot Kushel, the director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UCSF, hopes the study helps drive public support for these ideas, which in turn will spur politicians to act.
“I hope that it really focuses our efforts on housing, which is the only way out of homelessness,” Kushel said. “It’s almost so obvious it’s hard to speak about. We don’t have enough housing for poor folks.” Implementing solutions to the housing affordability crisis in those areas would tremendously advance the goal of ending homelessness.
The non-profit organization Mobile Loaves & Fishes has launched an exciting program. Per their website, “The Community First! Village is a master planned neighborhood that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community—forged family—for men and women coming out of homelessness. A development of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, this transformative residential program exists to love and serve our neighbors who have been living on the streets, while also empowering the surrounding community into a lifestyle of service with the homeless.”
California has allocated $30 million to provide four cities with 1,200 “tiny homes,” Governor Newsom announced last March. Speaking of the need for housing, I’m reminded of the epic Rolling Stones song “Gimme Shelter.” In fact, I believe that #GimmeShelter would make a great slogan for a homeless housing campaign!
City governments provide the main oversight for housing construction, and spar constantly with the state over zoning, building permits and other obstacles for housing projects for low-income families and individuals – the ones most likely to become homeless. At the same time, county leaders provide welfare, and medical/ mental health services with local, state and federal monies. Unfortunately, they often quarrel with their city counterparts over how such programs are sited and administered in urban areas.
California’s crisis will not be resolved without the “comprehensive and integrated” approach that California HSS Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly advocates: that means state, county and municipal officials must put aside their infighting to work together. Otherwise, we’ll throw away billions more money, and the dire situation will only get worse.
More than half of all people experiencing homelessness in the country in 2022 came from just four states: California (30% or 171,521 people); New York (13% or 74,178 people); Florida (5% or 25,959 people); and Washington (4% or 25,211). Providing affordable housing (such as the aforementioned “tiny homes”) in these states will go a long way in solving this catastrophe.
In conclusion
Part of the reason that I earned a master’s degree in public relations was to enrich people’s lives. I would love nothing more than to work at a nonprofit that helps to solve the homelessness problem in California. I hope this article has been informative, and that it will persuade you to act now in contributing to the solution of homelessness not only in California, but in America. You can help in at least two ways: 1) contact and urge your local, state, and/ or national representatives to solve the homeless crisis, and 2) donate to a Homeless & Housing nonprofit from this list. Please help Eve, and others like her to finally get off the streets, and start a new life that they deserve.