Homelessness in LA County has not changed after 10 years, according to a recently updated United Way study. Can the OC show its neighbor how it’s done with its “Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness” and a blended housing strategy? Here are some of the challenges in Orange County:
- It is a long process moving someone from crisis to self-sufficiency; it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a year, and that is with focused, individualized assistance.
- The current unemployment rate is 9.1% (the state of California is at 12.1%).
- Many emergency drop-in shelters are typically open only during the cold season (Isaiha House and the OC Rescue Mission remain open year round).
- Alcoholism is and meth use run rampant.
- The public mental health agency is overburdened and in need of a major overhaul.
- The cost of living (especially housing) remains very high
10 years, 34 cities, 8,000 homeless; will it happen, or will bureaucracy, planning, lack of creative funding, no public buy-in, and collaboratively-stalled action clog the pipelines to change? The cynic in me says, “If it hasn’t happened by now it’s not going to be any different.” But we are entering a new era in our culture, a period of social concern and activism. My hope is that this emerging paradigm has the gumption to make individualism and materialism old-fashioned while reverting us back to the age of community. In ten years a lot can change. Then again, ten years is a long time for a lot to not happen.
Read the story from the LA Examiner here.
