San Diego County supervisors will consider a proposal Tuesday to declare homelessness a public health emergency, a move intended to elevate the region’s response to the growing number of people living without shelter.
County Chairman Nathan Fletcher and Supervisor Nora Vargas said the first-time release would highlight the mental and physical health of homeless people, with the county working with all 18 cities in a collaborative approach to dealing with solutions.
“The reality is, for far too long, county government had no skin in the game,” Fletcher said at a press conference Monday morning outside the County Administration Center. “They were not active participants in helping our region tackle the issue of homelessness, and that has changed.”
Fletcher and Vargas said the designation will make homelessness a top priority in the county. But it will not make the county eligible for extra money.
The county count of homeless people carried out in February found that 8,427 people were without a home, and that more than half were living without shelter. Although the city of San Diego has opened more shelters since then, there are often few beds available.
The statement is important, the supervisors said, because it focuses on addressing the health problems that so many of the homeless people face. Data from the Regional Task Force on Homelessness found that 14 percent of homeless people have chronic health conditions, 18 percent have mental health conditions, 12 percent have physical disabilities, 13 percent have substance use disorders and about 25 percent one hundred aged 55 and over.
Homeless people are also twice as likely to have diabetes and almost twice as likely to have high blood pressure or a heart attack. The homeless community was hit hard by an outbreak of hepatitis A in 2017 and an outbreak of shigella last year.
Moving forward, Vargas said he would like the county to create an online dashboard that would track the region’s progress toward homelessness solutions and to help cities access grants.
“We have a lot of community partners who are already doing great work, but what this does is give us an opportunity to come together and elevate the work in a way that hasn’t been done before through a lens regional,” he said.
Among the elected officials who joined Fletcher and Vargas were Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez, San Diego City Council Member Stephen Whitburn and Imperial Beach Council Member Paloma Aguirre.
Regional Homelessness Task Force President and CEO Tamera Kohler, also at the event, said health care is tied to ending homelessness.
“This work of tackling homelessness is about people,” he said. “Last night, I know that far too many people spent the night not in their own bed, but on the street, in their cars. Unfortunately, there are more in shelters than we have seen in a long time.”
Shortly after the press conference with Fletcher and Vargas, County Supervisors Joel Anderson and Terra Lawson-Remer joined Kohler at the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center a few blocks away to discuss the details of a rental subsidy program. which will go before the board on Tuesday. Supervisors will consider creating a $3 million pilot program aimed at preventing homelessness for 220 seniors over 18 months.
A year ago, Serving Seniors released an advanced homeless needs assessment that found more than half of the people interviewed said an extra $300 a month would increase their rental stability.
In February, the Board of Supervisors directed the chief administrative officer to return to the board with a plan to create a subsidy program in response to the report. The proposal going before the board Tuesday would allocate $2.9 million through the 2024-25 fiscal year to provide $500 a month to 220 seniors, who will also receive mild case management services.
Eligible recipients, who will be selected at a later date, will include heads of households 55 or older whose income is 50 percent below the area’s median income and who have a severe rent burden, meaning that 50 percent of their income goes towards housing costs. For heads of households aged 60 and over, income must be 30 per cent below the area’s median income.
Seniors President and CEO Paul Downey, who is also at the Gary and Mary West Wellness Center, said that a relatively small investment in keeping seniors housed will be far less than the cost of providing them with shelter if they’re n becoming homeless.
“This is a big deal when it comes to solving senior homelessness,” he said.
Anderson also called the program a cost-effective way to help seniors, and said it’s important to help people avoid homelessness whenever possible.
Kohler said the most recent count of homeless people in the county found that about a quarter of them were 55 or older, and half said they were homeless for the first time.
The oldest person in the account was an 87-year-old man who lived in his vehicle and said he became homeless due to economic reasons following a health crisis, he said.
Lawson-Remer said the subsidy program is the first subsidy program in the county dedicated to seniors.
“The cost of gas and housing is rising for all of us, but our seniors on fixed incomes are seeing rents rise that make it impossible to stay in homes where they have spent decades,” he said.
At the end of the pilot program, Lawson-Remer said the county’s new Evaluation Office will study its results, which could lead to scaling it up to help more people.
Like anywhere, it’s best not to walk around San Diego at night. This is when the risk of becoming a victim of violent crime can increase, so he always recommends walking in pairs after nightfall or taking a bus, train or ridesharing if you don’t have a vehicle.
What city in America has the worst homeless problem?
Based on HUD data, here are the cities with the highest homeless population in the United States:
- New York City. Homeless Population: 77,943. …
- City of Los Angeles. Homeless Population: 63,706. …
- Seattle. Homeless Population: 11,751. …
- San Jose. Homeless Population: 9,605. …
- SAN FRANCISCO. Homeless Population: 8,124. …
- San Diego.
What condition is number one in homelessness? When analyzing the ratio of homelessness to state population, New York, Hawaii, and California had the highest rates in 2020. However, Washington, DC was estimated to have an estimated 90.4 homeless individuals per 10,000 people, which was significant higher than any of the 50 states.
What are the top 10 homeless States?
Site | Condition | Total Homeless |
---|---|---|
1 | California | 161,548 |
2 | New York | 91,271 |
3 | Florida | 27,487 |
4 | Texas | 27,229 |
Which state has least homeless?
Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama have the lowest homelessness rates in the country.
What city in US has most homeless?
Outside of California, the city with the highest homelessness rate in the United States is Honolulu. The Honolulu metropolitan area has an estimated population of 953,207. Currently, the city has a homelessness rate of 458.3, one of the highest homelessness rates in the US.
Where can I find a homeless person in San Diego?
The best way to find a homeless person is to contact the larger homeless shelters directly and leave your name and phone number. To find the shelters you can call 2-1-1 or go to their website: 211sandiego.org.
Where is the best place to go if you are homeless? A good place to start is your County’s Department of Human or Social Services, a nearby church, non-profit social services, the library, or a food pantry.
How can I help homeless people in San Diego?
Urban Angels is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization formed to foster and provide food to the homeless in San Diego. Urban Angels makes food donations and provides feeding services to the homeless and hungry in San Diego, California every weekday at Connections Housing and once a week at the Salvation Army.
Who deals with homelessness in San Diego?
SDHC administers nine RRH programs, operated by six providers, including the Salvation Army, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), Home Start, Inc., SDHC’s Home Moving program, South Bay Community Services Corporation, and Father Joe’s Villages.
Who is responsible for the homeless in California?
The Housing and Homelessness Branch is within the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division of the California Department of Social Services California Department of Social Services The California Department of Social Services is one of 16 departments and offices within the California Health and Human Services Agency. The Department is comprised of more than 4,200 employees responsible for overseeing and administering programs that serve California’s most vulnerable residents. Social Services (CDSS). The Branch is responsible for program development and oversight of statewide housing programs funded by the CDSS.
Where to go if you are homeless in San Diego?
For current availability of homeless services and shelters, contact: 2-1-1 San Diego Resource Center. Dial 2-1-1 or call (858) 300-1211. or contact ResourceCenter@211sandiego.org.
Is San Diego a homeless city?
An annual homeless count conducted by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness in February found 4,106 people living without shelter countywide, with 2,494 in the city of San Diego.
Are the homeless flocking to San Diego? Since January 2020, there has been a 10% increase in homelessness in the county. Mayor Todd Gloria says you see it when you drive or walk around the streets of San Diego City and San Diego County.
Where does San Diego rank in homelessness?
Homeless populations and finances across the country. A 2020 national count of homeless people found that San Diego has the seventh largest homeless population in the country. In 2021, San Diego was ranked 13th in federal grant programs by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Which cities in California have the most homeless?
San Francisco has more resources than Sacramento to deal with its homelessness crisis. San Francisco’s homelessness crisis is well known, but new data shows Sacramento has more unsheltered relative to its population. Camp at Turk and Hyde streets in San Francisco in October 2021.
What US city has the highest homelessness rate?
Outside of California, the city with the highest homelessness rate in the United States is Honolulu. The Honolulu metropolitan area has an estimated population of 953,207. Currently, the city has a homelessness rate of 458.3, one of the highest homelessness rates in the US.
Why are so many people homeless in San Diego?
They became homeless because of a lost job, lost spouse or some other emergency beyond their control. “Add in the fact that we live in the most expensive housing market in the country, where double-digit rent increases are common, and you can see why too many San Diegans are being left behind,” he said.
What is causing the homeless crisis in California?
High housing costs and a low stock of affordable housing create a vulnerable situation, especially for lower income families and individuals who are at greater risk of becoming homeless.
Does San Diego have a high homeless population?
A recent report by the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness found that 8,427 people living in the county are homeless – a 10% increase since the first quarter of 2020. Officials say the number of homeless is likely much higher, but o’ r 8,427 counts, just over half live in shelters.