For the primary time in seven years, town of Lengthy Seashore noticed native homelessness decline yr over yr — however officers in next-door Orange County had been dissatisfied to study their unhoused inhabitants had continued to develop.
The divergent tendencies had been documented in point-in-time counts performed in January. These surveys are supposed to present on-the-ground snapshots of homeless populations to assist determine the wants of explicit communities and form native response efforts.
Lengthy Seashore officers mentioned there have been 3,376 folks experiencing homelessness tallied throughout the newest depend — down 2.1% from the three,447 in 2023.
It was the primary drop in homelessness seen since 2017, when town’s homeless inhabitants stood at 1,863, data present.
Mayor Rex Richardson mentioned he was inspired by the outcomes of the annual depend, which is required by the U.S. Division of Housing and City Growth for cities which have their very own continuum of care, a governing physique that coordinates funding for housing and homeless companies. Lengthy Seashore, Glendale and Los Angeles every have their very own continuum of care.
“It’s clear that the work town has carried out in addressing homelessness is starting to show the tide,” Richardson mentioned throughout a information convention this week. “These numbers tell us we’re heading in the right direction and should proceed on within the work.”
The homeless depend discovered that greater than 70% of individuals experiencing homelessness in Lengthy Seashore are unsheltered, that means they reside in a tent, makeshift shelters or a car.
Just a little greater than half of the folks surveyed reported being on the streets for the primary time. Most listed household points, psychological well being and eviction as contributing elements.
The town noticed a couple of 50% discount in homelessness for these between the ages of 18 and 24, a 37% lower for minors and a 9.4% decline for these ages 54 by means of 64. Will increase had been seen in different age teams, nevertheless.
Declines had been additionally recorded amongst ladies and Black and Latino residents — among the many teams at highest threat of falling into homelessness.
Metropolis officers mentioned an emergency declaration on homelessness issued final yr helped enhance outreach companies, shelter mattress capability and psychological well being counseling. It additionally helped streamline the approval course of for reasonably priced housing tasks — from a yr to 60 days, officers mentioned.
Though that emergency proclamation expired in February, metropolis officers mentioned it supplied a mannequin for the way town ought to sort out homelessness in the long term.
Because of this, Deputy Metropolis Supervisor Teresa Chandler introduced the formation of an Workplace of Homeless Technique, which is able to function a “connecting level” for varied departments, exterior businesses, service suppliers and neighborhood stakeholders who’re targeted on addressing homelessness.
Richardson mentioned he hopes town can keep its momentum.
“We have now to keep up focus,” he mentioned. “Now isn’t the time to modify methods, now could be the time to double down on the outcomes we’ve seen and proceed to make significant distinction.”
In the meantime, simply east of the port metropolis, Orange County officers recorded a 28% improve in homelessness within the area.
The purpose-in-time outcomes, performed biannually by the county, confirmed that there have been 7,322 folks experiencing homelessness in January, up from 5,718 in January 2022.
Will increase had been famous each within the variety of unsheltered homeless people, 37%, in addition to these in shelters, 18%.
Doug Brecht, director of the county’s Workplace of Care Coordination, attributed the rise partly to the tip of COVID-era initiatives that supplied monetary assist to households and housing-related protections resembling eviction moratoriums.
County officers took some solace in the truth that persistent homelessness decreased within the area for the primary time since 2019 and that the expansion price of its homeless inhabitants during the last 5 years has remained beneath these of the state and surrounding counties — a growth Brecht mentioned was aided by extra funding into the county’s homeless companies system.
County officers mentioned they plan to additional improve shelter mattress capability, develop outreach companies and construct extra reasonably priced housing.
In a press release, Donald Wagner, chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, expressed combined response in regards to the outcomes.
“Whereas there was a rise within the homeless inhabitants in Orange County, it is just a comparatively minor 7% improve during the last 5 years,” he mentioned. “Nonetheless, we acknowledge a lot work left to do.”
Supervisor Doug Chaffee expressed disappointment, however mentioned the homeless depend additionally supplies very important details about how the county can do higher.
“The purpose-in-time isn’t just counting heads, it’s an evaluation of how effectively we’re doing,” he mentioned. “It’s simple to say, ‘We’d like extra housing.’ We do, however there’s different parts.”
Chaffee mentioned one space that the county might want to additional study is how one can stop folks from falling into homelessness within the first place — whereas additionally making an attempt to spice up housing manufacturing within the area.
“It’s a cork within the bottle,” he mentioned. “That’s how we’ll handle the rise.”
