An inability to obtain affordable housing is at the center of the homeless crisis in California, a new University of California at San Francisco study has determined.
Survey organizers distributed nearly 3,200 questionnaires to participants who’ve experienced housing insecurity or homelessness. According to the document, more than 171,000 people experience homelessness daily statewide, with nine out of 10 being from California.
That’s about half the country’s unhoused population. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, about 582,462 people experienced homelessness in 2022.
The report found that unhoused people faced multiple barriers when trying to find housing, including poor credit, a lack of savings, limited phone access, lack of transportation and money for rental applications.
When it came to losing housing, leaseholders said they had about 10 days’ notice before being kicked out of their homes while non-leaseholders had roughly one day.
Approximately 70 percent of respondents believed that a monthly subsidy of $300 to $500 would’ve prevented their homelessness for a sustained period. What’s more, 82 percent thought a one-time payment ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 would have prevented their homelessness altogether.
But housing wasn’t the only issue participants encountered. Access to shelters proved to be difficult for some. About 41 percent noted that they wanted shelter but couldn’t access it.
Additionally, respondents reported issues relating to their mental health, drugs and alcohol that exacerbated their housing problems. Other issues respondents experienced included prolonged homelessness, past trauma and physical and sexual victimization.
To combat the homelessness crisis, university experts suggest that affordable housing immediately be made available to housing-insecure people, whose estimated monthly income was approximately $950 before becoming unhoused, the survey states.
Affordable units and vouchers could be used to bring people to more secure housing environments. To prevent homelessness, experts suggest using subsidy programs or one-time lump sum payments.
Other issues that should be addressed to further combat homelessness include domestic violence, resources for mental health difficulties and substance abuse.
California has struggled with its homelessness crisis especially in recent years. In March, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced $1 billion in funding to help address the problem and provided 1,200 small homes to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento, according to a news release.
It’s not clear what else that $1 billion will go to aside from the small homes.
“In California, we are using every tool in our toolbox – including the largest-ever deployment of small homes in the state – to move people off the streets and into housing,” Newsom said in a statement.
“The crisis of homelessness will never be solved without first solving the crisis of housing.”