Conditions and Causes of Homelessness in the Local Jurisdiction
Six socioeconomic conditions can lead human beings to homelessness in Salinas and Monterey County. Gibbs (2022) notes that the high cost of living and the near absence of affordable housing are the primary influencing factors of homelessness in the city. These include financial, legal, family, and relationship issues, incarceration, substance abuse, and having a mental disorder (Applied Social Research, 2022).
Demographic Breakdown of the Homeless Population
Applied Social Research (2022) found 1,065 homeless individuals in Salinas in 2022. Approximately half of all of them identify their ethnicity as Hispanic. More than half of them, 59% specifically, are white, those of Black or African-American origin make up 13%, and 7% are Indigenous (Applied Social Research, 2022). There are also 4% of Pacific Islanders and 3% percent of Asians (Applied Social Research, 2022). Among them, 55% are men, 43%, and the remaining 2% are non-binary individuals (Applied Social Research, 2022). More than four-fifths of people without homes in Salinas are over twenty-five; the rest are younger.
Availability of Emergency Shelters, Rescue Missions, and Soup Kitchens
As of February 2019, Salinas’s social infrastructure provided several transitional shelters, soup kitchens, and rescue missions to local people experiencing homelessness. The Coalition of Homeless Services Providers and the Community Action Partnership (2019) claim four emergency shelter resources and two soup kitchens exist. The former category increased by two facilities, with Shelter Outreach Plus specifically for women and the Men’s Lodging Program for male individuals only (Community homeless solutions, n.d.).
Unfortunately, only one rescue mission is operating in Salinas, Victory Mission (Thanks for visiting us! n.d.). This infrastructure is insufficient, and many homeless people live in alleys, awnings, benches, covered bus stops, homeless camps, overpasses, parks, patios, picnic tables, rest areas, sidewalks, tarps, and tents (Applied Social Research, 2022). Other places they live or sleep in include abandoned buildings, cars, construction sites, and vacant buildings.
Individual Strategies to Support the Homeless in a Multicultural Community
There are individual and collective ways in which the Salinas community can help local homeless people in great need. According to Vinluan (2022), many homeless people lack warm clothes in winter and refrain from going to community kitchens because their belongings can be stolen. Anyone who has surplus food or clothing can bring it to those without a home instead of throwing it away. The Salinas community can also help them by advocating for affordable housing and reintegration programs, and voting for those who can bring these.
References
Applied Social Research. (2022). 2022 Monterey County: Homeless count and survey comprehensive report. The Coalition of Homeless Service Providers. Web.
Community homeless solutions. (n.d.). Shelter Listings. Web.
Gibbs, M. (2022). Monterey County homelessness summit examines root of problem. The Mercury News. Web.
Thanks for visiting us! (n.d.). Victory Mission, Inc. Web.
The Coalition of Homeless Services Providers, & the Community Action Partnership. (2019). Monterey County homeless services resource guide. City of Salinas. Web.
Vinluan, J. (2022). Salinas homeless population struggles with extreme cold temperatures. KION 46 News Channel. Web.