Among the most divisive, difficult-to-solve, and widely-publicized issues confronting California today is homelessness.
Images of filthy encampments are enough to make many people cry, making it a very sensitive problem. State and municipal officials are arguing about the best way to handle the situation, while also being put under strong pressure from their voters to take action, making it a very political issue.
That being said, there is a great deal of misinformation floating about regarding the homelessness crisis, but that is to be expected.
Some of the most widespread misconceptions about homelessness are listed here. Give us a data-driven task and we’ll help you sort fact from fiction.
CURE: The vast majority of homeless individuals travel here from other areas
FACT: The pleasant climate and plenty of social services are supposed to attract the downtrodden. However, that is not supported by the statistics.
Recently, the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative performed a large-scale survey of unhoused Californians. The results showed that the overwhelming majority of those without homes are from the state of California, and even more so, that the majority of those without homes still reside in the same county. About three-quarters of those who took part in the poll were residents of the county in which they were most recently housed, and nearly all of those people—90%—were from California. They were born in the US 87% of the time, with 66% happening in California.
The same is shown by the local data. For instance, in the 2023 point-in-time census in Santa Clara County, 85% of those who were homeless at the time of the survey said they were citizens of the county. In addition, 54 percent were long-term Santa Clara County residents.
CONCEPT: All people experiencing homelessness are either mentally ill or addicted to drugs.
Although not all people experiencing homelessness will struggle with addiction or mental illness, individuals living on the streets are indeed more likely to do so than the general public.
Among the homeless Californians polled by UCSF, 27% indicated that they had ever been hospitalized for a mental health illness. Approximately one-third of the population has attempted suicide in their lifetime. Additionally, 25% of respondents had a history of PTSD, and 23% had reported ever having a serious episode of hallucinations.
Among the drug users polled by UCSF, 33% said they routinely used cocaine, 56% said they regularly used amphetamines, and 22% said they regularly used non-prescribed opioids.
Similarly, 24% of respondents in this year’s point-in-time count claimed a major mental illness, and 27% reported a substance use disorder, according to newly released data from Los Angeles County.
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The general population does not have rates that high. The California Health Care Foundation reports that fewer than 4% of Californian people are living with a significant mental disease. Families living below the federal poverty level and individuals jailed have greater rates of mental illness.
But in 2021, the California Health Care Foundation reported that 9% of Californians fit the threshold for a substance use disorder.
DEBUT: The vast majority of homeless people have served their country.
The homeless population in California is skewed toward veterans. The number of homeless veterans in California has decreased dramatically, going from almost 16,800 in 2011 to nearly 10,400 in 2022, largely because of a significant federal push to reduce veteran homelessness during the past decade. Nonetheless, the figure has remained unchanged for the past few years. Unhoused veterans’ state-funded residences are underutilized.
Now, there are new initiatives aimed at ending homelessness that are allocating specific funds for homeless veterans. Unhoused individuals in need of mental health and addiction treatment will have access to 4,350 additional homes as a result of Proposition 1, a $6.4 billion bond that was just approved. A portion of those brand-new residences will be set aside for veterans.
To what extent does that service gap exist? Six percent of the homeless people in California who participated in the UCSF poll said they were veterans. Nineteen percent of veterans said they got assistance from the VA.
The point-in-time count for Santa Clara County in 2023 found 508 homeless veterans, making about 5% of the overall homeless population in the county. There were 587 homeless veterans in San Francisco this year, making up 7% of the city’s overall homeless population.
On February 11, 2022, tents were arranged against a fence in a homeless camp in west Fresno, close to Highway 180. Photo courtesy of CalMatters user Larry Valenzuela
The myth that homeless people are unmotivated and unable to work
The truth is that some homeless persons are still working, while others are actively seeking employment.
Among the homeless individuals in California who were questioned by UCSF, 18% said that they had worked in the prior month, either in a formal capacity or as an independent contractor. Researchers found a larger percentage—25%—when they removed participants who were either mentally or physically disabled or who were 62 years old or older from the sample.
People still can’t afford rent on their own, regardless of how much they work. A one-bedroom home would be out of reach for fast food workers in California, even though their typical hourly salary is $17.32, if one were to believe the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Just because it’s hard doesn’t imply nobody is trying. As many as 44% of the people polled by UCSF were actively seeking employment. Some people found creative methods to make ends meet; 40% said they did odd jobs or recycled to make ends meet.
The length of time spent searching for food, water, and shelter while simultaneously protecting one’s possessions on the street, as well as one’s age, handicap, and lack of transportation to and from a job were among the obstacles mentioned by many participants.
During the 2022 point-in-time count in San Francisco, 17% of the homeless population was working, 32% were unemployed and seeking employment, 32% were not seeking employment, and 20% were unable to work.
Many people became homeless as a result of losing their jobs. Among those who became homeless in San Francisco in 2022, 21% cited the loss of their work as the main cause.
Myth: Homeless people do not desire a house or shelter.
Some city officials may indeed refer to those experiencing homelessness as “service-resistant” if they decline resources like shelter. According to those who work in outreach, though, the truth is far more nuanced.
According to Shaunn Cartwright, a longtime San Jose resident who works with homeless populations, “A lot of people want to go inside, but they also want to be met halfway.” “If I’m just going to be kicked out of this tiny house in the future, there’s no use in moving in.” If there isn’t going to be any place to live once I move into a little house, then what’s the point?
She went on to say that some of the homeless men and women sleeping on cots side by side in a barracks-style shelter are unable to do so because they suffer from severe PTSD or other mental health issues. Additionally, many shelters do not allow dogs, do not allow couples to sleep together, and do not have enough space for people to keep their possessions. A lot of folks aren’t going to take a placement because of all those constraints.
People are more inclined to accept a shelter that satisfies their needs, according to the study. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s Project Roomkey program allowed cities and counties across California to open hotels and motels to homeless people. Offering homeless people private rooms as shelter rather than the conventional barracks approach was a revolutionary notion back then. Additionally, a recent statewide evaluation of the program found that it was extensively utilized. The report’s co-author, Nichole Fiore, a principle associate at research firm Abt Global, told CalMatters in May that this demonstrates people’s eagerness to come inside under the appropriate circumstances. She mentioned that those who had previously declined refuge were now open to giving Roomkey a go.
The ability to retain one’s partner, pets, and possessions, as well as autonomy and privacy, are the factors that will bring people indoors, according to Fiore. “When people’s needs are attended to and taken into consideration, they will eventually come inside.”
FALSE: Leaving food at a homeless encampment is a good way to help.
It’s not a good idea to leave food in a homeless camp without first inquiring about the people’s food preferences or needs.
The food boxes will be placed on a corner, and it’s obvious that someone dropped them down, but Cartwright warned that this isn’t always indicative of public interest.
Rats and flies will congregate around spoiled food, and the stench will permeate the whole space. Worse yet, if an encampment already has a waste problem due to rotting food, the authorities may decide to sweep the site and remove the people.
According to Cartwright, a big issue at homeless encampments is illegal dumping. According to her, there are instances when occupants of surrounding residences bring their rubbish to the camp and dispose of it, leaving the camp residents to cope with waste that was never really theirs.
Help is always appreciated, and Cartwright offers some advice: “Hey, I was wondering, what are you all into?”
