Homelessness in California

A tent city on East 12th Street in Oakland, California, set up by local homeless people, 2019 Homeless man in Fresno, California, 2019

In January 2024 at least 187,084 people were experiencing homelessness in California, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.[1]: 8 This is 0.48% of California's population, one of the highest per capita rates in the nation.[1]: 8

California has the highest percentage of unsheltered homeless people among all U.S. states, with two-thirds of its homeless population sleeping on the streets, in encampments, or in their cars.[1]: 8 Nearly one in four homeless people in the U.S., and 45% of unsheltered homeless people, live in California.[1] Even those who are sheltered are so insecurely: 90% of homeless adults in California spent at least one night without shelter in a six month period.[2]: 53

A statewide housing shortage drives the homelessness crisis. A 2022 study found that differences in per capita homelessness rates across the United States are not due to differing rates of mental illness, drug addiction, or poverty, but to differences in the cost of housing. West Coast cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego have homelessness rates five times as high as areas with much lower housing costs like Arkansas, West Virginia, and Detroit, even though the latter locations have high burdens of opioid addiction and poverty.[3][4][5][6] California has the second lowest number of housing units per capita, and an estimated shortage of one million homes that are affordable to the lowest income renters. Another 2022 study found that moderate decreases in rents would significantly reduce homelessness.[7] A 2023 study published by the University of California, San Francisco also found that the high cost of housing was the greatest obstacle to reducing homelessness.[8]

## Scope of the issue

[edit]

From 2007 to 2023, California's homeless population grew more than any other state's.[9] While the national homeless population decreased by 18% between 2010 and 2020, California's increased by 31%.[10] This trend continued from 2020 to 2022, when California's homeless population grew by 6% while the rest of the country saw an increase of less than 0.5%.[11][12] A 2021 survey revealed that 19% of Californians reported that they or someone close to them had experienced homelessness in the previous five years.[13]

36% of homeless people in California are categorized as "chronically homeless"[14]: 24 —which means "they have a long-standing disability that significantly impedes their ability to live independently and have been unhoused for a consecutive year or on at least four occasions within a three-year period." The remaining 64% are categorized as "experiencing short-term homelessness"[15] though many may have been homeless for similar durations without meeting the disability criterion for chronic homelessness.[2]: 24

80% of homeless people in California are adults not with children; 40% of those are aged 50 and older. 14% are families with children. 7% are unaccompanied youth (where "youth" is defined as being under age 25).[15]

## Health aspects

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See also: Homelessness in the United States § Health

From 2019 to 2020, homeless people were hospitalized in California 237,541 times and made 658,644 emergency department visits. This represents about 3% of hospital encounters in California hospitals.[16]

Among homeless adults in California, 45% describe their health as "poor or fair," and 60% report having a chronic disease.[2]: 54

In March 2019 The Atlantic reported on outbreaks of tuberculosis and typhus in homeless shelters throughout California. These outbreaks have been described as a "public-health crisis" and a "disaster" by public health officials who are concerned they might spread into the general population.[17]

Street medicine is defined as "health and social services developed specifically to address the unique needs and circumstances of the unsheltered homeless, delivered directly to them in their own environment." Street medicine programs deliver health services directly to unsheltered people in their environments. These services include chronic condition diagnosis, disease management, and preventive medicine. As of 2021[update] there were at least 25 street medicine programs operating in California. While the average program serves 615 patients and conducts 2,352 patient visits annually, most programs operate at a smaller scale, serving fewer than 500 patients and conducting fewer than 500 visits.[18]

A representative survey found that 82% of homeless adults had experienced a mental health condition at some point, 66% currently experience symptoms of mental illness, and 27% had required mental health hospitalization.[2]: 26, 59

The survey revealed that 65% had used illegal drugs regularly at some point, and 62% had experienced periods of heavy drinking. While 57% had received treatment for substance use disorder, current substance use remains significant: 31% use methamphetamines, and 16% report alcohol abuse. 20% had required medical attention for an overdose.[2]: 27–28 24% saw their substance use as a problem. Among those using drugs or alcohol regularly, 20% want treatment but cannot access it.[2]: 62–63

## Possible causes

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### Insufficient housing

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Main article: California housing shortage

In California housing costs are exceptionally high and the supply of affordable housing is low. California ranks 49th among U.S. states in housing units per capita.[19] As of 2021[update] California had only 24 available homes that were considered affordable for every 100 lowest-income renter households. This creates a deficit of about one million affordable homes.[20]

The 2022 book Homelessness is a Housing Problem looks at per capita homelessness rates across the country, and what factors influence the rates. It concludes that high rates of homelessness are caused by shortages of affordable housing, not by mental illness, drug addiction, or poverty.[3][4][5][6] While mental illness, drug addiction, and poverty exist nationwide, high homelessness rates correlate specifically with housing shortages and high housing costs.[4] For example, Arkansas and West Virginia have high rates of opioid addiction but low homelessness rates due to affordable housing.[4][5] Similarly, Detroit, despite significant poverty, has a homelessness rate only one-fifth that of major West Coast cities.[4][5] Large cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco attribute increases in the number of people experiencing homelessness to the housing shortage.[21]

Where housing is expensive, it is more difficult for potentially-homeless people to find their own housing, and it is also less likely that their friends or family will have spare bedrooms or will otherwise have extra space to accommodate them.[22]

A 2002 study found "the incidence of homelessness [in California] varies inversely with housing vacancy rates and positively with the market rent for just-standard housing" and concluded that "moderate increases in housing vacancy rates and moderate decreases in market rents are sufficient to generate substantial declines in homelessness."[7]

In San Diego, according to a 2023 report, aggressive evictions and rent increases of some 43–64% on vacant properties have contributed to the problem.[23]

### Deinstitutionalization

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The United States pursued a policy of deinstitutionalization from the 1960s through the 1980s, closing state mental hospitals in favor of proposed community-based psychiatric facilities. However, California (and other states) never created enough facilities to meet the need.[19][better source needed]

As mental hospitals closed, the prison system expanded, shifting many people with serious mental illness from hospitals to jails and prisons.[24][7] By 2012 there were about ten times as many mentally ill people incarcerated in the United States as there were in hospitals.[25][better source needed]

More than 75% of homeless adults in California report having been jailed or imprisoned.[2]: 26 Recent California reforms meant to reduce mass incarceration have released many mentally ill prisoners, who face particular challenges in finding housing due to their mental health needs, incarceration-related trauma, and the stigma of criminal records.[19][better source needed]

A survey of homeless adults in California found that 19% had transitioned into homelessness directly from an institutional setting such as a jail or prison. Most reported having received no sort of transitional services to prevent homelessness.[2]: 35

### Climate

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California's mild climate influences how people experiencing financial hardship make housing decisions. In regions with harsh winters, people prioritize maintaining housing to avoid dangerous weather exposure. However, in California's milder climate, people facing high housing costs may choose to dedicate limited funds to other needs, even if this increases their risk of homelessness. In California's regional data areas with colder winter temperatures have lower homelessness rates.[7]

It does not seem to be the case that many homeless people migrate to California from elsewhere. A representative survey found that 90% of homeless adults in California became homeless while already living in the state. Furthermore, 75% remain in the same county where they last had housing.[2]: 23

## Youth

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Of all unaccompanied homeless youth (people under the age of 25 not accompanied by parents or guardians) in the United States, 24% live in California.[26] They represent about 5% of the homeless people in California.[27]: 76 60% of them are unsheltered.[27]: 44

Young people experience unaccompanied homelessness through various circumstances. Some are "throwaway youth," forced from their homes by parents who reject their gender identity or sexual orientation, react negatively to their pregnancy, or perpetrate abuse. Others are "runaway youth" who leave their homes to escape abuse, neglect, conflict, or poverty.[28]

In addition, more than 220,000 public school (K–12) students in California experienced homelessness in 2020–21.[29]

In FY 2016 the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) began funding the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP), "a coordinated community approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness."[30] For FY 2022, the HUD awarded $60 million to target youth homelessness in 16 communities, including California's Riverside County.[30] HUD said this was meant to "support a wide range of housing programs, including rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and host homes."[31]

## Women and LGBTQ+

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A 2023 study examined the demographics and experiences of California's homeless population, including gender and sexual orientation.[32]

The study revealed that cisgender men comprise 69% of California's homeless population, cisgender women 30%, and transgender or non-binary individuals 1%.[32] Regarding sexual orientation, about "9% of participants identified as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, queer, or another non-heterosexual sexual identity".[32]

The study documented high rates of violence across all gender identities, with transgender and non-binary individuals facing the highest risk. Physical violence affected 70% of cisgender men, 75% of cisgender women, and 87% of transgender and non-binary people.[32] Sexual violence was "more common among cisgender women (43%) and trans/non-binary (74%) participants rather than cisgender men (17%)."[32]

## State-level political action

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California adopted the Housing First model in 2016 to guide its homelessness programs, but the state's severe housing shortage complicated implementation.[19]

In 2021, the California State Auditor reported that "[a]t least nine state agencies administer and oversee 41 different programs that provide funding to mitigate homelessness, yet no single entity oversees the State's efforts or is responsible for developing a statewide strategic plan."[33]

Between 2018 and 2021, California spent $9.6 billion on homelessness initiatives and provided services to 571,000 people. However, most recipients remained unhoused, and the state's homeless population increased during this period.[34]

In November 2022, Governor Newsom confronted counties over what he called "simply unacceptable" homelessness reduction plans, which projected only a 2% decrease over four years. He initially threatened to withhold state funding but later released the funds after counties agreed to develop more ambitious proposals.[35]

In 2023, Governor Newsom allocated $20 million in grants to 22 Native American tribes in California to address housing insecurity and to prevent homelessness in Native American communities.[36]

An April 2024 investigation by The Guardian and Type Investigations found that the state had paid $100 million to private companies to clear homeless encampments, amid allegations of mistreatment.[37]

In 2024, California voters passed Proposition 1, which authorizes up to $6.38 billion in bonds to fund housing for veterans and the homeless, as well as mental health and drug and alcohol treatment facilities.[38]

### Homeless Data Integration System

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development created the Continuum of Care (CoC) system in 1993 to organize HUD funding distribution. This system divides states into regions that include homeless service providers and local governments. California contains 44 CoC regions.[39]

To improve data coordination among these regions, California adopted the Homeless Data Integration System (HDIS) in April 2021. The California Interagency Council on Homelessness manages HDIS, which consolidates data from all state CoCs.[40]

### Housing roadblock reforms

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California has enacted several laws to overcome local resistance to housing construction. For example, SB35 (2017) streamlined approval processes for multifamily housing developments, and SB9 (2021) expanded homeowners' rights to build additional housing units or subdivide their properties.[19]

Local governments have historically restricted housing development through measures like single-family zoning, often supported by homeowners who benefit from housing scarcity and rising property values.[19] In 2021, California limited local governments' power to block housing construction.[41] In 2023 the state government became more assertive about rejecting local housing & zoning plans that it viewed as being unreasonably restrictive. In some cases, this meant housing developments could receive automatic approval without local government authorization.[42]

### Tiny house villages

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In 2023, California initiated a $30 million tiny house program as an alternative to homeless encampments.[43] The state planned to distribute 1,200 units across four locations: 500 in Los Angeles, 350 in Sacramento, 200 in San Jose, and 150 in San Diego County. These tiny houses serve as interim housing for people experiencing homelessness and cost approximately $73,000 each to build—significantly less than constructing permanent housing in California.[44][19]

### Hospital discharge plans

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California has attempted to improve healthcare transitions for homeless patients. SB 1152 (2019) requires hospitals to create discharge plans for homeless patients and ensure they have food, shelter, medicine, and clothing for post-hospital care.[45] While Medi-Cal offers free health insurance to many homeless people, it can be arduous for homeless people to apply, preventing many from obtaining coverage.[46]

### Projects Roomkey and Homekey

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Clifton Hall, a former California College of the Arts dorm, was bought by the city of Oakland using Homekey funds and converted to public housing for people experiencing homelessness.[47]

California launched Project Roomkey in March 2020 as an emergency response to protect homeless people from COVID-19. Initially funded by FEMA, the program housed vulnerable homeless individuals—particularly those over 65 or with underlying medical conditions—in vacant hotel and motel rooms. Though scheduled to end in late 2020, the program continued with state and local funding.[48]

Project Homekey, an extension of Project Roomkey, focuses on converting hotels, motels, vacant apartments, and other buildings into low-cost housing. The program's first phase, funded by $600 million from federal COVID relief (CARES Act) and California's general fund, ended in December 2020.[49] This phase converted 94 hotels and motels into approximately 6,000 permanent housing units.[50] By early 2024, Project Homekey had created 15,000 housing units, exhausting its total allocation of $3.5 billion.[51]

In September 2024, Homekey+ was unveiled. It is a $2.2 billion program to create permanent supportive housing for veterans and individuals experiencing mental health or substance use disorders.[52]

### Forced mental-health and addiction treatment

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In September 2022, California established "CARE courts" with broad bipartisan support.[53] These county-level courts can mandate housing and treatment programs for people with untreated schizophrenia or psychosis. Under this system, families, clinicians, first responders, and behavioral health specialists can petition the court. If clinical assessment determines that an individual is severely endangered or threatens others due to untreated schizophrenia or psychosis, judges can order up to 24 months of medication, substance abuse treatment, and housing.

A bipartisan group of mayors gave tentative support,[54] but the group Disability Rights California sued to stop the implementation of the law.[55]

In October 2023, SB 43 was passed to make it easier for the government to involuntarily confine and treat a person with a mental illness or substance use disorder who is "unable to provide for their personal safety or necessary medical care."[56] SB 43 partially reversed the Lanterman–Petris–Short Act, a law dating to the governorship of Ronald Reagan in 1967, which restricted the government's ability to involuntarily confine and treat people with mental illnesses.[57]

### Mental health housing and residential services

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In 2024 California Proposition 1 was passed by a slim majority of California voters. Under its provisions the state will provide additional behavioral health services and issue up to $6.38 billion in bonds to fund housing for veterans and homeless individuals. It also moves about $140 million of annual allocations for mental health care and addiction care from the counties to the state.[58]

### Housing assistance via Medi-Cal

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California launched the CalAIM program in 2022, allowing some vulnerable patients to use their health insurance plans for housing-related needs, including finding affordable housing, paying rental deposits, preventing evictions, and addressing home health hazards. A pilot program conducted in Alameda County in 2016–2021 assisted 30,000 patients. Of those who were homeless, 36% obtained in permanent housing.[59]

Federal authorization to use Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program) for housing purposes lasts through 2026.[60]

California requested federal authorization to expand these services by providing short-term rent subsidies to homeless patients and those at risk of losing their homes.[61]

### Criminalization of homelessness

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See also: 41.18 and Sit-lie ordinance

Local governments in California have experimented with criminalizing homelessness. For example, some jurisdictions have made it a crime to sleep outdoors or in motor vehicles.[62]

The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit's 2018 ruling in Martin v. Boise temporarily restricted California governments' abilities to enforce such anti-vagrancy laws. The court held that cities could not criminalize sleeping outdoors on public property if there were not enough shelter beds available for homeless people, as this would violate the Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution.[63]

> [T]he Eighth Amendment prohibits the imposition of criminal penalties for sitting, sleeping, or lying outside on public property for homeless individuals who cannot obtain shelter.... That is, as long as there is no option of sleeping indoors, the government cannot criminalize indigent, homeless people for sleeping outdoors, on public property, on the false premise they had a choice in the matter.

> — Martin v. Boise

In September 2022, the Ninth Circuit reaffirmed this restriction, invalidating the use of anti-sleeping, anti-camping, and park exclusion ordinances to criminalize homelessness:

> ...the City of Grants Pass cannot, consistent with the Eighth Amendment, enforce its anti-camping ordinances against homeless persons for the mere act of sleeping outside with rudimentary protection from the elements, or for sleeping in their car at night, when there is no other place in the City for them to go.

> — Opinion, Johnson v. Grants Pass[64]

However, in June 2024, the Supreme Court in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, ruled that the Ninth Circuit had decided the case wrongly, and that "enforcement of generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property does not constitute 'cruel and unusual punishment' prohibited by the Eighth Amendment."[65]

The ruling freed up California governments to again criminalize homelessness (not directly, by criminalizing the status of being homeless, which would still be unconstitutional under surviving precedent, but indirectly, by criminalizing, for example, sleeping outdoors).[66]

After the Supreme Court ruling, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing the California Departments of Parks and Recreation and Fish and Wildlife to adopt the California Department of Transportation's model of razing homeless encampments, regardless of whether homeless shelters are available. The National Homelessness Law Center stated that the order was "a misdirection of a systemic problem onto the victims." The order did not mandate that alternative shelter be provided to homeless encampment residents, but it does require agencies (and urges local leaders) to connect people with service providers.[67]

### Public bathrooms

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California law requires establishments run by public agencies to have bathroom facilities available for the public, provided without any cost or charge.[68]

A proposed Right to Restrooms Act would require that local governments inventory existing public restroom facilities in public databases that could be accessed by the public and by homeless services providers.[69] The bill died in committee.[70]

### Comparisons to and lessons from Texas

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From 2012 to 2022, California's homeless population increased by 43%, while Texas's decreased by 28%.[71]: • For select cities and localities, the divergence was even greater, with Sacramento County's homelessness increasing by 230% over the same period, Los Angeles County's increasing by 106%, while Houston's decreased by 57%.[71]

The primary factor behind California's higher homelessness rate—five times that of Texas per capita—is housing costs. California's median one-bedroom apartment rents for $2,200 monthly, compared to $1,200 in Texas.[71]: • This cost difference stems largely from California's stricter land-use and zoning regulations, which limit housing construction. Houston, for example, has no zoning. In 2022, despite having nine million fewer residents, Texas issued more than twice as many housing permits as California.[71]

The states also differ in their policy approaches. Texas concentrates its homelessness funding on permanent housing, while California divides resources between temporary shelters and permanent housing. Texas agencies coordinate their efforts effectively, unlike in California, where agencies often compete for funding. For example, in Los Angeles County, four separate government agencies compete for the same state dollars.[71]

Politicians and policy makers from California have visited Texas cities and homeless services organizations to see if lessons from Texas can be applied in California.[71]: •

## County and local-level poltical action

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### Central Valley

[edit]

#### Fresno

[edit]

Despite having some of the most affordable housing, Fresno has seen a substantial increase in homeless population.[72] During the COVID 19 pandemic, financial insecurity had worsened for many residents in Fresno and left more homeless people unsheltered.[73] According to the 2023 Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care Point-in-Time count, Fresno-Madera had experienced the largest increase in the number of unsheltered people from the year 2019 to 2020 in the past decade preceding 2023.[74] Low housing costs in Fresno appealed to many people across the state who were financially impacted by COVID 19. Consequently, many people seeking housing security flooded Fresno causing a shortfall of affordable housing for pre-existing, unhoused residents.[72] Pre-existing financial insecurity coupled with rising population drove housing precarity amongst low-income individuals in Fresno. As rental rates increased, the availability of affordable housing decreased.[75]

### Los Angeles County

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Tents of the homeless on the sidewalk in Skid Row, Los Angeles, 2018

As of February 2022[update] more than 40% of people experiencing homelessness in California lived in Los Angeles County.[15] The homeless population of L.A. County increased by 65% between 2020 and 2022.[11][12]

In June 2023, L.A. County officials reported that according to a point-in-time survey, over 75,500 people were homeless in the county, which was up from 69,000 the previous year, and 70% higher than 2015.[76] The number who were unsheltered rose at an even higher rate, to 55,000 (the number of sheltered homeless people in L.A. County declined slightly).[76] The number who were "chronically homeless" (homeless for more than a year with a disabling condition) had increased to 32,000 people.[76] 31% of homeless residents of L.A. County were Black, 43% Latino, 2% Asian.[76] 25% reported experiencing severe mental illness, and 30% reported having a substance use disorder.[76]

A 2013 census noted that 18.2% had a physical disability; 68.2% of homeless people were male, and 57.6% were between 25 and 54 years old.[77]

The Board of Supervisors of L.A. County wrote to the State Legislature asking that California "pass a resolution urging the Governor to declare a state of emergency with respect to homelessness"[78] in June 2016. In 2019, California governor Gavin Newsom fulfilled this request.[79] L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas in an opinion piece said that homelessness had reached emergency levels in L.A. County, with over 900 people dying on the streets in 2018, and over a thousand projected to die in 2019. Exposure to the elements cuts the lifespan of those who survive on the streets by 20 years. He attributed the crisis to rising rents, lack of affordable housing, and stagnant wages.[80]

There are an estimated 4,021 homeless young-adults between the ages of 18 and 24 on any given night in L.A. County as of 2019[update], a 22% increase over 2018, per the Greater Los Angeles Youth Homeless Count.[81] The count defines youth as people 24 years old and younger.[82]

Los Angeles spent $619 million on 36,000 homeless people in 2019, approximately $17,194 per person; however, the number of people who are homeless continues to grow.[83] Peter Lynn, head of the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) who saw homelessness rise 33% during his five years in spite of $780 million in additional funding, resigned his job at the end of 2019.[84]

In 2018, a count of homeless in Los Angeles County, found 565 homeless Native Americans; it is believed that this count is below the actual amount of homeless Native Americans.[85] In 2019, a count of homeless found 1,692 Native Americans who were unsheltered in Los Angeles County; the majority of those Native Americans counted identified as men, and had a higher rate of identification as LGBT compared to the total unsheltered population.[86] In 2020, of the 66,436 homeless counted in Los Angeles County, 1.1% identified as American-Indian/Alaskan Native.[87]

#### City of Los Angeles

[edit]

A homeless person in Los Angeles sleeps on the street, 2010

According to a 2019 Los Angeles Times poll, 95% of voters called homelessness a serious or very serious problem in the city, more than for any other issue.[88] L.A. County officials reported that in 2019 there were over 39,000 homeless people in the city.[89] More homeless people die from hypothermia in Los Angeles (average winter low temperature: 49 °F (9 °C)) than in New York City (average winter low temperature: 26 °F (−3 °C)).[90]

In November 2022, voters approved Measure ULA, a tax on high-price real estate sales with the proceeds designated to fund affordable housing and homelessness services. The tax went into effect on 1 April 2023.[91]

In December, 2022, new mayor Karen Bass declared a "state of emergency" and issued an executive order aimed at removing hurdles to developing affordable housing and shelters for homeless people. The order instructs city agencies to process the bureaucratic paperwork associated with such projects within sixty days, rather than the six to nine months the agencies are accustomed to, and reduces the number of regulatory veto points for such projects.[92]

In 2016, voters approved a $1.2 billion bond measure designed to create permanent supportive housing. A report from the L.A. Controller's office criticized the implementation of the measure: five years after it passed, only 14% of the housing had been completed, and the average per-unit cost was about $600,000.[19]

The Los Angeles Police Department has issued citations and fines against people living in public areas as part of the Safer Cities Initiative that began in September 2006.[93] This Central Police division's initiative entailed assigning fifty full-time officers to clearing out "homeless encampments" in different parts of downtown. Once they cleared an area, they would stay for seven days before moving on to another area.[93] In 2015, the city was spending roughly $100 million a year on homelessness with approximately half of this funding going to policing the homeless population.[94] Proposition HHH was approved by voters 77% to 23% in 2016. This was a $1.2 billion bond measure to build permanent supportive housing for homeless people and people at risk of becoming homeless.[95] Rising rent and relatively few laws protecting tenants from predatory landlords are significant drivers of surging homelessness in Los Angeles.[96]

A sprawling homeless encampment in West Los Angeles, 2022

#### City of Santa Monica

[edit]

Santa Monica experienced a 19% decrease in the number of homeless people downtown, with a 3% increase in overall homelessness in 2019. Positive results are credited to outreach and engagement strategies and to prioritizing homelessness.[97][83] Rising homeless numbers are attributed to the Los Angeles housing crisis.[98] Santa Monica has approximately 400 emergency shelter beds across 330 permanent supportive housing (PSH) units, and provides an access center for showering, mail, and medical assistance.[98]

#### City of Long Beach

[edit]

In a 2022 report from the city of Long Beach, from the seventh most-populated city in California, found that the amount of people unhoused who were experiencing some level of homelessness was 3,296 people. That was a 62% increase compared to 2020, the last time the city conducted a similar report.[99]

In January 2023, the City of Long Beach declared a state of emergency in response to the homeless crisis. The declaration would reduce red tape in approving contracts and projects to address homelessness.[100]

Long Beach Deputy City Manager Teresa Chandler announced in an August 2024 memo the enforcement of the city's anti-camping ordinance by issuing a misdemeanor citation to unhoused individuals. The city did not disclose the cost of the citation or what the length of jail time would be for people who accumulate multiple citations. Simultaneously, the memo called for increasing funding for motel vouchers and permanent housing to provide people a route out of shelters, and called for hiring more staff for the Department of Homeless Services and other agencies working with the homeless.[101]

#### City of Norwalk

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On August 6, 2024, the Norwalk City Council passed an emergency moratorium on several facilities, including shelters, single-room occupancy hotels, public housing, and transitional housing. The City Council passed the moratorium on the basis of the California Housing Crisis Act of 2019, which allows local governments to enact a ban on a housing unit or facility if there is an "imminent threat" to the public health and safety.[102] The State Department of Housing and Community Development sent Mayor Margarita Rios and other officials a violation letter, calling the ordinance "unlawful." The State also argued in the violation letter that “there are no findings of a threat specific to the housing subject to the moratorium, nor any finding of a citywide threat.” Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened a lawsuit against the City of Norwalk to urge city officials to rescind the adopted moratorium.[103]

### Orange County

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The 2019 Orange County Point in Time count documented 6,860 homeless people. Per the count, 2,899 of them had found some type of shelter, while 3,961 had no shelter. The Point in Time count is a federally required biennial census of homeless people to collect demographic data and other information and to determine how much federal funding Orange County will receive to address homelessness issues.[104]

A 2017 census in Orange County, California recorded 4,792 homeless people.[105] 193 homeless people died in 2017, with drug overdoses and suicides being the leading causes of death.[106]

### San Diego County

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A report outlining the key findings from the 2017 Point-In-Time (PIT) count and Housing Inventory Count (HIC), found that San Diego County had 9,160 people experiencing homelessness.[107]

In 2017 an outbreak of Hepatitis A throughout California resulted in a declaration of a health emergency by both The County of San Diego and Governor of California Jerry Brown.[108] The outbreak affected the homeless population due to inadequate sanitation in San Diego, from inadequate handwashing stations, and locked public restrooms.[109] In response to the health crisis, San Diego opened three emergency shelters which are expected to cost $12.9 million per year to operate.[110] The city approved a 500-bin storage center for homeless people to store their belongings.[111]

In 2018 San Diego County was the fourth largest in the United States with 8,576 people experiencing homelessness.[112]

A 2023 count showed 10,203 homeless people throughout San Diego County according to the volunteer organization WeAllCount which conducts an annual Point-in-Time count, a 14% increase from 2022.[113] Veterans make up a significant portion of this population, with 814 homeless veterans. This was a 17% increase from the 2022 count.[114]

#### City of San Diego

[edit]

San Diego has a history of insufficient healthcare provided to the homeless population, with a majority of homeless people in 1989 lacking any regular access to healthcare.[115]

During a criminal trial in 1990, San Diego police officers and supervisors testified that they routinely "cleared" downtown streets of "transients" by rounding them up before dawn and moving them to other jurisdictions such as National City or other unincorporated areas in the county.[116]

The City of San Diego took action to alleviate the homeless population by encouraging housing within vehicles. In February 2019, San Diego repealed a long-standing law that made living within vehicles illegal.[117] This came two years after the construction of a parking lot designed to provide safe residence for people who live in their cars, complete with restroom and shower facilities.[118] The City of San Diego currently has 2,040 emergency and bridge shelters for homeless people, providing temporary housing options.[119] The City of San Diego adopted a "Housing First" program in 2018, which plans to spend $79.7 million for programs assisting homeless people[120] including temporary housing development, permanent housing development, rent assistance, and incentives for landlords to rent to homeless people.

In June 2023, the city of San Diego passed a ban on public camping. Enforcement of the new ordinance went into effect in late July.[121] The ordinance creates a new "3 strike" system in which a person is first informed about the new law and given information for other services, then issued a misdemeanor on their second offence, and on their third offence can be arrested.[122] While enforcement of the policy is contingent on availability of shelter space, police may issue citations to those encamped close to schools, existing shelters, along train and trolley lines, and in public spaces in which encampment may create a public health risk at any time regardless of shelter space.[122] To address the lack of shelter beds, the city is creating two "safe sleeping" lots at Balboa Park's B street lot and parking lot O.[123] The 136 tent and 400 tent sites can house people per-tent and, at full capacity, can accommodate between 516 and 1032 people. The sites provide their own tents as well as bathrooms, showers, meals, assistance to additional housing services, and 24-hour security.[124] Residence may also bring domestic pets such as cats and dogs.

#### City of Escondido

[edit]

A report from The Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) in 2023 found 304 unhoused people in Escondido.[125] In February 2024 the city rejected the state and county “Housing First” initiatives to solve homelessness. Instead, the Escondido City Council voted 4-1 in favor of their own "public safety first" strategy.[126]

#### City of Oceanside

[edit]

The state of California announced in April 2024, the City of Oceanside and subrecipient Carlsbad will receive $11.4 million from the state. The Interagency Council on Homelessness funding will help connect about 350 people camping along the 78 corridor to services and housing.[127] In August 2024, the grant was decided to be distributed between the two cities, with Oceanside receiving nearly $6.1 million and Carlsbad $5.3 million.[128]

During October 2024, the Oceanside’s City Council updated ordances which removes the city's requirement to offer shelter space or a motel voucher before enforcing a prohibition on camping in public places. The ordance also allows Oceanside police to remove homeless encampments from public property regardless of available shelter beds while reducing the removal notice from larger encampments from 48 hours to 24 hours.[129]

### Sacramento County

[edit]

In August 2019, the city of Sacramento filed a lawsuit against seven transients accused of theft, drugs, assaults, and having weapons. The lawsuit seeks to exclude them from the business corridor around Land Park and Curtis Park.[130]

### San Francisco County and City

[edit]

Main article: Homelessness in San Francisco

A homeless camp in San Francisco, 2017

The city of San Francisco, California, has a significant and visible homelessness problem. Approximately 61% of the homeless population were already living and working in San Francisco when they became homeless, indicating that a majority of people experiencing homelessness did not come to the city for its resources but rather are being priced out of their homes.[131] The city's homeless population has been estimated at 7,000–10,000 people, of which approximately 3,000–5,000 refuse shelter due to the conditions within the shelters—including violence, racism, and homophobia and transphobia. There are only 1,339 available shelter beds for the approximately 10,000 people sleeping outdoors.[132] The city spends $200 million a year on homelessness-related programs.[133] On May 3, 2004, San Francisco officially began an attempt to scale back the scope of its homelessness problem by changing its strategy from cash payments to the "Care Not Cash" plan, which however has had no visible impact on reducing homelessness in the city. In 2010, a city ordinance was passed to disallow sitting and lying down on public sidewalks for most of the day.

An October 2018 report by Leilani Farha, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, said that "cruel and inhuman" conditions for homeless people in the Bay Area violate human rights, which include being denied "access to water, sanitation and health services, and other basic necessities." Farha's fact finding mission found conditions in homeless encampments rivaling the most impoverished neighborhoods in Mumbai, Delhi, and Mexico City. She urged the Bay Area to provide more affordable housing.[134]

A proposition on the Nov 2018 elections ballot (Proposition C), would apply a tax to the gross receipts of San Francisco's largest companies. The revenue from the tax would add up to $300 million a year to the city's homelessness budget (double what it is right now). It would also fund shelters, mental health services, addiction treatment, and prevention to keep people from becoming homeless.[135] It passed with 61% of the vote and was upheld as valid by the state Supreme Court.[136]

The City of San Francisco has a program called Homeward Bound, first started when Gavin Newsom was mayor.[137][138] Between 2005 and 2017, the city of San Francisco sent 10,500 homeless people out of town by bus.[139] A 2019 article in The New York Times reported that many bus ticket recipients were missing, unreachable, in jail, or homeless within a month after leaving San Francisco, and one out of eight returned to the city within a year.[137]

### Santa Barbara County

[edit]

The rising cost of rent and property prices forced hundreds of middle-class people, including teachers, chefs, and nurses, to live out of their cars in parking lots. In 2017 a count showed 1,489 homeless people.[140] There were 44 deaths in Santa Barbara County in 2016.[141]

### Ventura County

[edit]

A preliminary 2018 count released by the Ventura County Continuum of Care Alliance board indicated that the county's population of homeless men, women, and children was 1,299.[142] It was also reported that there was an increase of 24% for the unsheltered population.[143] Overall, in 2017, the City of Ventura experienced a double-digit increase in its homeless population from 2016[144] and 63 deaths.[145] Ventura residents have placed pressure on city leaders to do more about the growing homelessness problem.[146]

## See also

[edit]

* Homelessness in the United States by state

## References

[edit]

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## External links

[edit]

* Housing articles by CalMatters

* v
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Housing in California

Issues|

* Homelessness
* San Francisco Bay Area
* Housing shortage
* San Francisco
* Gentrification
* Silicon Valley

State laws|

| Laws|

* FEHA (1959)
* CEQA (1970)
* Proposition 13 (1978)
* DBL (1979)
* HAA (1982)
* SB 1534 (1982)
* Costa–Hawkins (1995)
* AB 72 (2017)
* SB 35 (2017)
* HOME Act (SB 9) (2021)
* AB 2097 (2022)
* AB 2011 and SB 6 (2022)
* SB 4 (2023)
* SB 684 (2023)

|

Mandates|

* RHNA

Proposals|

* SB 50 (2019)
* Proposition 21 (2020)
* Proposition 33 (2024)

Agencies|

* HCD
* CalHFA
* CCC
* CARB
* CalEPA

Related|

* Zoning
* Missing middle housing
* NIMBY
* Parking mandates
* Single-family zoning
* YIMBY
* Housing in the United States

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Housing in the United States by state or territory

States|

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Non-states|

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* Guam
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Related topics|

* Architecture
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* Mortgage industry
* Organizations
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* Homestead Acts
* Right to housing
* Slum clearance
* Subsidized housing
* Racism
* Segregation
* Squatting
* Zoning
* Missing middle housing
* NIMBY
* Parking mandates
* Single-family zoning
* YIMBY

* v
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Homelessness in the United States (by State)

States|

* Alabama
* Alaska
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* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
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* Illinois
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* Kansas
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* Ohio
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* Oregon
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* South Carolina
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* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
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* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
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Other areas:|

* Federal district
* District of Columbia
* Insular areas:
* American Samoa
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* U.S. Virgin Islands
* Freely Associated States:
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Republic of the Marshall Islands
* Republic of Palau

Metropolitan areas|

* San Francisco
* Columbus, OH
* Minneapolis, MN
* Seattle

Homeless Related|

* Bill of Rights
* Encampment sweeps
* Housing insecurity
* LGBTQ youth
* Hooverville
* Squatting
* Veterans
* Women
* Mental health
* Tent cities
* Relocation programs

Homeless Analytics|

* Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress
* Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)
* Human Wasteland
* Point-In-Time Count
* State Index on Youth Homelessness

* v
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* e

Homelessness

People|

* Aged people
* Cyber-homeless
* Families
* McRefugee
* Mole people
* Street people
* Street children
* Social orphan
* Vagrants
* Bergie
* Tramps
* Hobos
* Youth

Issues|

* Anti-homelessness legislation
* Bill of Rights
* Bumvertising
* Discrimination
* Mental health
* Patient dumping
* Popular culture
* Spirituality
* Vulnerability Index
* Pets
* Survival sex
* Social cleansing
* Slum clearance

Responses|

* Soup kitchen
* Hygiene program
* Homeless ministry
* Homelessness services
* List
* Street newspaper
* List

| Shelters|

* Homeless shelter
* Cooling center
* Drop-in center
* Four penny coffin
* Penny sit-up
* Warming center
* Women's shelter
* Homeless Friendly Precincts

|

Housing|

* Foyers
* Housing First
* Rapid Re-Housing
* Right to housing
* Single-room occupancy (SRO)
* Squatting
* Tent city
* Transitional housing

Awareness|

* Homelessness Action Week
* Homeless Persons' Week
* Homeless World Cup
* International Year of Shelter for the Homeless
* Street Child World Cup
* Youth Homelessness Matters Day

By country|

| Africa|

* Algeria
* Egypt
* Ghanaian children
* South Africa

|

Americas|

* Canada
* Vancouver
* Latin American children
* United States
* LGBTQ youth
* Veterans
* Women
* California
* San Francisco
* Colorado
* Columbus
* Florida
* Minneapolis
* New Mexico
* Oregon
* Seattle
* Elsewhere

Asia|

* Bangladeshi children
* China
* India
* children
* Indonesia
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* North Korea
* Filipino children
* Thai children

Europe|

| East|

* Eastern European children
* Hungary
* Russia

|

North|

* Denmark
* Finland
* Ireland
* Sweden
* United Kingdom
* England
* Scotland

South|

* Greece
* Portugal
* Spain
* Vatican City

West|

* France
* Germany
* Netherlands
* Switzerland

Oceania|

* Australia
* Papua New Guinea
* New Zealand

Category
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