While housing gains continue to be achieved among the chronically homeless and youth, San Bernardino County’s 2018 Point-In-Time Count (PITC) revealed increases in numbers among the newly homeless, unaccompanied women, families and veterans.
The recent PITC affirmed that countywide efforts to reduce the chronically homeless population have been successful with an 18 percent reduction in 2018. However, Southern California’s affordable housing crisis is negatively impacting an emerging population of homeless adults, particularly seniors on a fixed income.
Overall, data collected on January 25, 2018 tells us that there are 2,118 homeless people living in San Bernardino County, up from 1,866 in 2017, a 13.5 percent increase of 252 newly homeless individuals.
A 12.6 percent increase in the number of homeless veterans was also found during the count, with 125 unsheltered veterans this year compared to 111 in 2017. The number of homeless unaccompanied women increased by 23 percent from 284 in 2017 to 349 in 2018. In addition the count identified 29 unsheltered families this year, compared to 15 in 2017, which represents an increase of 14 families or nearly 100%.
“We know our efforts to reduce the chronically homeless population and veteran homelessness in San Bernardino County have been and continue to be successful. However, this data helps us understand that we still have much more work to do to help our newly homeless population, those who fall outside the federal definition of the chronically homeless. Our veterans, our women and our families living on the streets need solutions and services to help them overcome the growing housing, economic, and health challenges they face,” said Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales, chair of the Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH).
In some instances, cities and towns show a greater total count of homeless individuals due to a higher number of both shelter beds and transitional housing units established within their jurisdictions.
Contributing to the overall increase in homelessness this year are the newly or those who became homeless for the first time during the past 12 months. Nearly a third of people 50 and older in the count became homeless for the first time in 2018. Almost 100 percent of those individuals had monthly incomes of less than $1,000.
The housing crisis in Southern California is a leading factor for the increase of homeless individuals and families, according to Kent Paxton, Homeless Policy Advisor for the Fifth District, and Chair of the ICH Point-in-Time Count Committee. According to a recent study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a person must make $23 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment in the San Bernardino County.
“When seniors and families on fixed incomes are making less than $1,000 per month, and the rent goes up, they are left without housing,” said Paxton. “The data from the Point-In-Time Count helps identify emerging issues and the changing needs of the homeless population.”
“As new phenomenon present themselves it may mean a more multi-systemic approach, such as bringing the Department of Aging and Adult Services, the Public Guardian and the Housing Authority in to find more housing for seniors and others who may be outside the scope of federal funding the County receives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),” Paxton said. “We have to be more innovative in terms of how we connect the clients who are eligible to available resources.”
Ending homelessness in San Bernardino County is a priority for the Board of Supervisors who created the San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership in 2007. This past year, more than 140 chronically homeless people with mental health issues have been housed. In July 2015, the board held a special session on efforts to reduce the homeless veteran population. In August 2016, the board once again held a special session resolving to reduce the population of chronically homeless in the county. As of March 2018, through the board’s initiative on homeless veterans, 1,128 veterans and families were successfully housed in our County.
In addition, last year the board prioritized finding resources for unaccompanied women among the newly and chronically homeless because they are the most susceptible to further trauma by virtue of abuse suffered in childhood and as adults, according to Philip Mangano, former homeless czar under Presidents Bush and Obama, who works with the County on creating strategies to reduce homelessness.
“The numbers of homeless unaccompanied women rose this year, but that may be in part to the additional focus on counting them accurately,” said Tom Hernandez, homeless services officer for the Community Development and Housing Agency.
Every year the Homeless Partnership continues to adjust to the needs of the community and made strides particularly with chronic homeless and veterans using effective methods such as Housing First, rapid rehousing models and collaboration with landlords.
“Inland Housing Solutions coordinates the multi-agency County-Wide Housing Search effort and partners with private sector property owners to identify suitable housing options for homeless individuals and families linked to rental assistance and community-based supportive services,” said Jeff Little, chief executive officer of Inland Housing Solutions (IHS).
“Property owners play a vital role in providing rental housing opportunities for our most vulnerable neighbors and are a crucial partner in the mission to prevent and end homelessness in our communities. IHS works alongside multiple service agency partners through the County’s 2-1-1 Coordinated Entry System to facilitate housing identification and placement services, move-in and financial/rental assistance, while maintaining positive relationships with property owners and rental operators,” Little added.
The 2018 report lists six recommendations to end homelessness amongst the pre-identified populations:
1. Encourage each city to adopt their unsheltered homeless count numbers as baseline numbers;
2. Completely align with a Housing First model and low barrier approach for chronically homeless individuals and families;
3. Completely align with a rapid rehousing and low barrier approach for non-chronically homeless individuals and families;
4. Align the current homeless services delivery system with a goal of ending homelessness among unaccompanied women by 2020;
5. Increase the Number of Permanent Supportive Housing Units; and
6. Increase Rapid Rehousing Assistance.
Every other year HUD requires the Point In Time Count to be conducted within the last 10 days of January. The Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) made the policy decision to do the count every year to better monitor and respond to the homeless trends. This year, the San Bernardino County Point In Time Count was held on Jan. 25, led by the County’s Homeless Partnership (SBCHP), ICH and the Institute for Urban Initiatives.
More than 500 community volunteers, community groups, faith- and community-based organizations, County departments, city representatives and staff, homeless service providers, law enforcement and elected officials assisted with the count.