Introduction
Homelessness is a major problem for the United States as every night, thousands of people go to sleep without safety and stability. The number of individuals living on their own is increasing all over the country, especially in the state of California. Due to this phenomenon, the county found itself in the situation of a public health crisis, which aggravated last year after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The residents of Northern California faced frustration and anxiety, raising health and safety fears and causing multiple debates about poverty and discrimination in one of the wealthiest states of the country.
Main body
Homelessness is a serious crisis in Northern California due to the increasing housing prices and a broadening gap between social classes. For the wealthiest state, there are more than 150,000 people sleeping in shelters, cars, or on the street (Levin & Botts, 2019). According to the statistics, there are 33 homeless per 10,000 people in the general population (National Alliance to End Homelessness, n.d.). Of that total, “7,044 were family households, 10,980 were Veterans, 11,993 were unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24), and 41,557 were individuals experiencing chronic homelessness” (United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, n.d., para. 1). The experts’ estimations show that the most vulnerable group is single young adults as a result of the lack of affordable housing due to the high costs and inadequate incomes or life perturbations.
The problem of homelessness in the United States presents many problems, including the arising issue of racial discrimination. According to Levin and Botts (2019), “African-Americans are disproportionately found on California’s streets — roughly 30% of the state’s unhoused population is black” (para. 10). The highest rates of black people without a shelter are found in San Francisco and Marin County. There is also a myth that most homeless people in California are not local residents. However, local surveys showed that most of them are from the surrounding neighborhoods; for example, 70% of San Francisco’s strays were housed in the city before losing their place to live (Levin & Botts, 2019). Among the reasons for this problem are mental health problems, addictions, and domestic violence. However, despite general stereotypes, most homeless adults are not addicts or psychotic, as the major cause of the phenomenon is poverty.
The inflation in the sphere of real estate is a critical point in the problem of homelessness. According to the California Housing Partnership, “about 1.3 million California renter households are considered “extremely low income,” making less than $25,000 a year” (as cited in Levin & Botts, 2019, para. 23). It is obvious that such households cannot afford the escalating rents and have high risks of becoming homeless. To solve the problem, the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has “proposed more than $1.4 billion in his new budget for expanded state and local efforts on immediate housing and services” (Westervelt, 2020, para. 9). Approximately $750 million is meant to be spent for paying the rent of people facing homelessness and the beginning of more affordable housing construction (Westervelt, 2020). However, it does not eliminate homelessness as, according to the estimations, “building new housing for every low-income Californian who needs it would cost $15 to $30 billion annually” (Levin & Botts, 2019, para. 25). The state is currently spending the same amount on a massive program called Medi-Cal, which is aimed at providing health care to the poor.
In light of this situation, public health and safety problems present the biggest concerns of society, including such issues as disease, drug abuse, violence, crime, and fire risks. For example, in Los Angeles County, the death rate for homeless people has been rising for the last few years, and in 2018 it was more than 1,000 each year (Westervelt, 2020). The issue became especially critical in 2020, after the beginning of the pandemic. Society has faced the problem of social distance and hygiene for people without shelter. The government of the state has established Project Roomkey to solve this problem and secured hotel and motel rooms for homeless individuals, having covered one-fifth of the state’s unhoused population (Ho, 2020). The government of California has organized a few other programs, such as CalWORKs Housing Support, Bringing Families Home, Housing and Disability Advocacy, and Home Safe Programs to cope with the rising situation (Department of Social Services, n.d.). However, despite all the projects, the statistics continue to grow as more people across the state become homeless.
Another important subject is the provision of healthcare to these groups of people. Healthcare for the homeless is usually provided in shelters, hospital EDs, churches, and mobile van units. There are a few organizations, which perform this function, for example, Homeless Health Care and National Health Foundation Recuperative Care in Los Angeles, and Interim Care Program in Sacramento, helping people on the streets without judgment (National Health Care for the Homeless Council, n.d.). Nurses working with this social group often face confusion and feel powerless. However, their role in this process is important as it is crucial they respect these people and understand the circumstances when making prescriptions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, homelessness is one of the major problems in the state of California. People are often left without shelter due to the growing financial crisis, which makes housing unaffordable for numerous families. The problem of homelessness presents a big threat to public health, especially in the situation of the pandemic. The government undertakes many actions to improve the situation; however, the rates continue to increase. To solve the problem, there is a need for a complex approach, which would include assistance to the most vulnerable people, rapid re-housing, and an increase in the level of outcome.
References
Department of Social Services. (n.d.). CDSS Housing and Homelessness Programs. Web.
Ho, V. (2020). What happened when California tried to fix its homelessness crisis as the pandemic arrived.The Guardian. Web.
Levin, M. & Botts, J. (2019). California’s homelessness crisis – and possible solutions – explained. Cal Matters. Web.
National Alliance to End Homelessness. (n.d.). California. Web.
National Health Care for the Homeless Council. (n.d.). California. Web.
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (n.d.). California homelessness statistics. Web.
Westervelt, E. (2020). Sprawling homeless camps – modern “Hoovervilles” – Vex California. NPR. Web.