COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT Prepared by The Institute for Urban Research and Development for The County of Riverside Department of Public Social Services & The Housing and Homeless Coalition for Riverside County
Acknowledgements The County of Riverside 24/25 Homeless Assessment was the product of a unique collaborative effort between the County of Riverside, various local governments throughout the County, public and private housing and homeless social service providers, members of the homeless community, and a wide variety of community volunteers. The completion of the Homeless Assessment has inspired a distinctive relationship between these groups that creates new possibilities for responding to the needs of homeless individuals and families. The following report was prepared by the Institute for Urban Research and Development on behalf of the County of Riverside Department of Public Social Services and the Housing and Homeless Coalition for Riverside County. It contains a summary of information collected during the County of Riverside 25 Homeless Census Project and the 24 Homeless Survey Project. Principal Consultants Institute for Urban Research and Development Joe Colletti, Ph.D., Executive Director Don Smith, Project Manager Thelma Herrera, Graphics Specialist Should you have question, comments or input, please feel free to contact: Don Smith at dsmith@iurd.org Joe Colletti at jcolletti@iurd.org Additionally, you can contact: County of Riverside Department of Public Social Services Homeless Programs Unit County of Riverside Department of Public Social Services Homeless Programs Unit 951.358.5636 Copies of this report can also be viewed or downloaded at: www.homeless-research.com COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT
County of Riverside 24/25 Homeless Assessment
County of Riverside 24/25 Homeless Assessment Table of Contents A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. How Many People Are Homeless in Riverside County on a Given Day? 2. Who Are the Homeless in Riverside County? 3. The Next Steps Developing a Strategy to End Homelessness B. THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 25 HOMELESS CENSUS 1. Introduction 2. Who Was Counted? 3. How the Count Was Conducted 4. Who Carried Out the Count? 5. Census Findings C. THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24 HOMELESS SURVEY 1. Introduction 2. Key Findings Primary Contributors to Homelessness 3. Key Findings General Profile D. CONCLUSION COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT i
Executive Summary County of Riverside 24/25 Homeless Assessment Awareness of, and concern for, homeless people often exceeds a community s knowledge of the issue. Thus, the range and severity of the issues surrounding homelessness are yet to be fully understood. The primary purpose of the County of Riverside 24/25 Homeless Assessment is to provide the people of Riverside County and its wide variety of community stakeholders with a unique opportunity to understand its homeless population unlike ever before. The results of the 25 Homeless Census combined with the 24 Homeless Survey provide Riverside County with a comprehensive battery of information that will serve as the basis for developing strategies for public and private agencies to respond to specific needs of homeless families and individuals and develop strategies for filling gaps in services in the regional homeless continuum of care system through public and private collaborations. The Homeless Assessment results also establish benchmark numbers by which the success of the County s continuum of care strategies and programs will be measured for the next several years. The County of Riverside 24/25 Homeless Assessment is primarily based upon the following two projects: 1. The County of Riverside 25 Homeless Census conducted in January of 25 in order to answer the primary question How Many People Are Homeless in the County of Riverside on a Given Day? 2. The County of Riverside 24 Homeless Survey conducted over an eight week period from February through April of 24 in order to answer the primary question Who Are the Homeless in Riverside County? This Executive Summary highlights the key findings identified through both of the above efforts and expanded upon in separate reports incorporated into this document. This summary also includes an outline of the next steps to be taken to develop a comprehensive Strategy to End Homelessness in Riverside County as we know it today. Who was included in the Homeless Assessment? Both the 25 Homeless Census and the 24 Homeless Survey utilized the following definition of homeless provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: A person is considered homeless only when he/she resides in one of the places described below: a. in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings; b. in an emergency shelter; c. in transitional or supportive housing for homeless persons who originally came from the streets or emergency shelter; d. in any of the above places but is spending a short time (up to 3 consecutive days) in a hospital or other institution; 1. How Many People Are Homeless in the County of Riverside on a Given Day? There are nearly 5, (4,785) homeless adults and children who either live on the streets or in emergency shelters and other temporary housing facilities on any given day in the County of Riverside. COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT 1
The 25 Homeless Census involved both a street-based and service-based enumeration of individuals who were homeless on January 26 th, 25. The methodology used to count homeless persons included a simple count instrument designed to collect a small amount of identifier and demographic information from homeless adults encountered in order to help prevent duplication and provide for some statistical analysis. Information collected included gender, ethnicity, year born, state born, marital status and family composition. The number of children in homeless families was captured by asking adult respondents the question: how many children are living with you today? An analysis of the demographic information collected during the census reveals a number of Key Findings regarding the homeless population in Riverside County. These findings include: A. Total Number of Homeless Persons 1. There are 4,785 homeless people on a given day in the County of Riverside; 2. More than one out of five (23) homeless people in Riverside County are children under the age of 18; 3. Almost one-third (1,14 or 3) of the homeless adults are female however the majority of adults are male (2,599 or 7). 2,599, 7 1,14, 3 Adult females Adult males 4. Women and children together make up almost half (2,231 or 46.6) of the homeless population in Riverside County on any given day; 5. More than one of four (1,424 or 29.7) homeless people in Riverside County are under 25 years of age; 6. Only one-third (1,622 or 33.9) of the homeless population in Riverside County can be found residing in an emergency shelter or other temporary housing facilities on any given day. 1,622, 34 Unsheltered Sheltered 1,91, 23 3,163, 66 3,694, 77 Adults Children 7. Almost half (44 or 2,11) of the homeless population in Riverside County can be found in the Western/Metropolitan region of the County on any given day. 2 WWW.HOMELESS-RESEARCH.COM
Region Region A (Western/Metropolitan) 2,11 44 Region B (I-15 Corridor) 492 1.3 Region C (Mid-County) 717 15 Region D (Desert/Coachella Valley) 1,362 28.5 Region E (Blythe) 14 2.2 Total 4,785 1 B. Homeless Men 1. The majority (7) of homeless adults are men in Riverside County on any given day. There are more than 2,5 (2,599) men living on the streets or in homeless facilities on any given day in Riverside County. 2. More than half (1,349 or 51.9) of homeless men are white and more than one in four (71 or 27.3) are Latino. 3. Almost three of five (1,5 or 57.7) homeless men are from the baby-boomer generation born between 1946 and 1965 and almost one-third (813 or 31.3) are over 5 years of age. 4. Less than one of five (59 or 19.5) homeless men were counted in shelters or other temporary housing facilities. C. Homeless Women 1. Almost one-third (3) of homeless adults are women in Riverside County on any given day. There are over 1,1 women (1,14) women living on the streets or in homeless facilities on any given day in Riverside County. 2. More than half (579 or 5.8) of homeless women are white. African-American women make up more than one-third (186 or 34.2) of all homeless African Americans in Riverside County. 3. More than three of five (687 or 6.2) homeless women are between the ages of 3 and 5 years old and almost half (569 or 49.9) are under 4 years old. 4. More than one-third (416 or 36.5) of homeless women identified that they had children under 18 years of age living with them. Almost three-fourths (31 or 72.3) of these woman identified their marital status as single. 5. More than one-third (413 or 36.2) of homeless women were counted in shelters or other temporary housing facilities. More than half (225 or 54) of the women with children under 18 living with them were counted in homeless facilities. D. Homeless Families with Children 1. One-third (1,588 or 33.2) of the homeless people in Riverside County on a given day are members of families with children; COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT 3
3,197, 67 1,588, 33 Persons in families Individuals 2. More than one out of seven (542 or 14.7) homeless adults counted identified that they had children under 18 years of age living with them today; 542, 15 The survey was administered to 1,91 homeless adults who were either living on the streets or in homeless facilities representing almost one-third (29.2) of the homeless men and women in Riverside County on a given day. The one-on-one interview survey was designed to collect a battery of demographic and service-need information that provides the tools to identify and analyze a range of factors that are both causes and consequences of the homeless experience. An analysis of the survey data applied to the total number of homeless individuals identified through the census reveal the following Key Findings regarding the homeless population in Riverside County. 3,152, 85 3. More than three out of four (416 or 76.7) homeless adults with children are women; 4. More than half (32 or 55.8) of the homeless adults with children are Latino (186 or 34.3) and African American (117 or 21.5) 5. Almost half (73 or 46) of the homeless adults and children in families were living in emergency shelters or other temporary housing facilities. 2. Who Are the Homeless in Riverside County? The County of Riverside 24 Homeless Survey provides a sampling of data that helps us examine the issues and needs of the homeless population in Riverside County. A. Chronically Homeless More than one-third (1,125) of the homeless adults in Riverside County meet the definition of being chronically homeless whereby they are unaccompanied homeless individuals with a disabling condition who have either been continuously homeless for a year or more or who have had at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the past three (3) years. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has established addressing the issue of chronic homelessness as the top priority for the federal government and is the central goal of the Administration s strategic planning effort to end chronic homelessness in ten years. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has placed increasing emphasis in its annual Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance grant application on the importance for local communities to address chronic homelessness. According to the HUD, a chronically homeless person is: 4 WWW.HOMELESS-RESEARCH.COM
an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more or has had at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the past three (3) years. Disabling condition is defined as a diagnosable substance use disorder, serious mental illness, developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or disability, including the co-occurrence of two or more of these conditions. Also, to be considered chronically homeless, persons must have been sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation (e.g., living on the streets) or in an emergency homeless shelter during that time. KEY SURVEY FINDINGS: 1. Almost half of the survey respondents who were single (46.9) met the definition of chronically homeless whereby they stated that they were homeless for one (1) year or more and/or four (4) times during the past three (3) years and had a disability; 2. Additionally, more than one-third of the adult members of families with children could be considered chronically homeless (38.6) whereby they stated that they were homeless for one (1) year or more and/or four (4) times during the past three (3) years and had a disability; B. Duration of Homelessness Nearly half (1,84) of the homeless adults on any given day in Riverside County have been homeless for one (1) year or more; conversely, nearly one-third (1,99) of the homeless adults on any given day have been homeless for three months or less. Recent national research indicates that there are three general patterns of homelessness chronic homelessness, episodic homelessness, and transitional homelessness. People who experience chronic (often two or more years) and episodic homelessness (recurrent episodes from year to year) are more likely to have a mental illness, sometimes with co-occurring substance abuse, unstable employment histories, and histories of hospitalization and/ or incarceration. People in these categories have a much more difficult time with ending their homeless experience with aggressive and on-going supportive services. Transitional homelessness generally refers to people who experience a single episode of homelessness that is relatively for a short duration and often in times of economic hardship and temporary housing loss. Many of these studies have found that people who remain homeless for longer than six months, tend to have a more difficult time with ending their homeless situation. Best practices suggest that the sooner people experiencing transitional homelessness are assisted with exiting their homeless situation and obtaining permanent housing, the less likely they are to experience a repeat occurrence of homelessness in the future. KEY SURVEY FINDINGS: 1. Nearly half (49.2) of survey respondents reported that they have been homeless for one (1) year or more; 2. More than one out of 1 (14.8) survey respondents have been homeless for 5 years or more and nearly one out of 1 (7.1) have been homeless for 1 years or more; 3. Conversely, nearly one-third (29.4) of survey respondents reported that they have been homeless for three (3) months or less. COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT 5
c. Domestic Violence Almost two-thirds of homeless women (765 or 67.1) in Riverside County on any given day have experienced domestic violence in their lives. The homeless population of Riverside County reported that they had significant experience with domestic violence. Women, as well as men, stated that they were victims of domestic violence. The vast majority of women (88.5) who were victims of domestic violence had experienced abuse from a spouse or intimate partner and more than half (54.9) had experienced abuse from a parent or relative. The survey data also revealed that almost half (47.1) of the woman who reported experiencing domestic violence identified domestic violence as a contributing factor to their homeless situation. KEY SURVEY FINDINGS: 1. Two-thirds (67.1) of all female survey respondents stated that they experienced domestic violence; 2. Almost half (47.1) of the female survey respondents who were victims of domestic violence identified the abuse as a factor in their becoming homeless; 3. More than one out of four male survey respondents (26.9) stated that they experienced domestic violence; 4. Together, 4.1 of all survey respondents experienced domestic violence. d. Foster Care More than one in ten (42) homeless adults on any given day have been in the foster care system; 25 (15) of homeless adults who were in the foster care system became homeless upon discharge from the system. There is a troubling link between foster care and homelessness among the county s homeless population. More than one out of ten (11.2) survey respondents stated that they have been in the foster care system. Thus, leaving care and entering adulthood has been a difficult transition for a noteworthy number of youth who are vulnerable to homelessness at the start of adulthood. KEY SURVEY FINDINGS: 1. More than one out of ten (11.2) of survey respondents reported that they had been in the foster care system; 2. Almost one-third (33) of the survey respondents who had been in the foster care system stated that they became homeless while in foster care; 3. One out of four (25) of the survey respondents who had been in the foster care system stated that they became homeless upon discharge from the foster care system. e. Low-income households More than 3, (3,414) homeless adults on any given day in Riverside County have an income of less than $12, a year. Almost half (1,843) of the homeless adults on any given day have no consistent monthly income. The survey data revealed that the vast majority of homeless individuals (91.3) have household incomes of less than $12, a year falling below the 3 median income in Riverside County. Nearly half (49.3) half of the homeless individuals in Riverside County have no consistent monthly income and two-thirds (66.5) have a very limited monthly income that equals no more than $6, a year. 6 WWW.HOMELESS-RESEARCH.COM
KEY SURVEY FINDINGS: 1. Nearly half (49.3) of survey respondents reported that they had no monthly income; 2. Two-thirds (66.5) of survey respondents had a monthly income that equaled no more than $6, a year; 3. Over 9 (91.3) of survey respondents had a monthly income that equaled no more than $12, a year. f. Mental Illness More than 2, (2,314) homeless adults in Riverside County on any given day have diagnosable symptoms of mental illness. Mental illness is a serious problem among the homeless population of Riverside County. The data collected from survey respondents describes a homeless sub-population filled with psychotic and mood disorder/depressive symptoms including bi-polar symptoms. And many of those suffering from these conditions remain untreated and/or lack access to the prescribed medications they need to remain stable and function through their daily lives. Mental health research has documented that mental and neurological illness are some of the most treatable, survivable disorders currently known. Recovery from these conditions for the County s homeless population will require an aggressive effort to provide necessary treatment and supportive services provided in a stable, consistent environment. KEY SURVEY FINDINGS: 1. More than three out of five (61.9) survey respondents reported symptoms of mental illness; 2. More than one in five (21.9) survey respondents identified that they have psychotic symptoms; 3. More than two out of five (42.1) survey respondents identified that they have mood disorder/depressive symptoms; 4. More than two-thirds (37.7) of survey respondents stated that they have bipolar type symptoms. g. Need for Health Care More than 1,5 (1,522) homeless adults on any given day have persistent health care needs. Survey results underline what is largely known to homeless service providers the need for health care is related to both causes and consequences of homelessness. Without access to appropriate health care, acute and chronic health problems go untreated which often impedes the homeless individual s ability to secure greater self-sufficiency and maintain independent living. Based on the results of the census: KEY SURVEY FINDINGS: 1. More than two out of five survey respondents (4.7) reported having persistent health care needs; 2. Approximately half (49.6) of survey respondents with persistent health care needs had more than one (1) persistent health care problem; 3. Approximately 25 of survey respondents with persistent health care needs had three (3) or more persistent health care problems. COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT 7
h. Substance Abuse More than half (1,959) homeless adults on any given day are currently using alcohol and/or other drugs and almost four out of five (2,958) have used alcohol or other drugs in the past. The homeless population of Riverside County acknowledged that it has a problem with alcohol and/or other drugs. The respondents to the survey revealed that there was extensive current use of alcohol and other drugs among the homeless population. The data also reveals that there was significant past use of alcohol and/or other drugs. Overall, the positive responses to the questions on current and past alcohol and substance use reveal that the relationship between alcohol/drugs and homelessness is intense. These responses also reveal that alcohol and drug use is the biggest, most frequent contributing factor to the homeless experience among the County s homeless population. KEY SURVEY FINDINGS: Current Use 1. 52.4 survey respondents stated that they were currently using alcohol and/or other drugs; Past Use 2. 79.1 survey respondents identified past use of alcohol and/or certain other drugs that they were not currently using; Current Use and Past Use 3. 86.2 of all survey respondents stated that they were currently using alcohol and/or other drugs or had used alcohol and/or other drugs in the past. i. Veteran Status Almost one out of four homeless men (63) in Riverside County on any given day is a military veteran. Homeless veterans, like other homeless persons, share a variety of factors that contribute to their homelessness such as health care problems, mental illness, substance abuse, and lack of income. There is, however, one difference between homeless veterans and the rest of the homeless population their military service in defense of their country. KEY SURVEY FINDINGS: 1. Nearly one out of four male survey respondents (23.2) were veterans; 2. Thirteen (13) female survey respondents were veterans representing 3.6 of all female survey respondents; 3. More than two-thirds (7) of all veteran survey respondents were living on the streets. 3. The Next Step Developing a Strategy to End Homelessness The County of Riverside 24/25 Homeless Assessment is an important step in understanding the extent of homelessness in Riverside County and the many complex issues and circumstances that surround people s homeless experiences. The next step is to develop and implement a 1-Year Homeless Strategy that will be designed to prevent and end homelessness in Riverside County. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is working with communities across the nation to create and execute 1-year strategic plans which are consistent with the current Administration s strategic plan and goal of ending chronic homelessness in 1-years. 8 WWW.HOMELESS-RESEARCH.COM
New research, new resources, new technology and best practices models from around the country provide an opportunity to develop and implement a successful 1-Year Homeless Strategy unlike ever before. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has published The 1-Year Planning Process to End Chronic Homelessness in Your Community: A Step-By-Step Guide. In the planning guide, Executive Director Phillip Mangano notes new research and new technologies have created such movement and innovation on this issue that it may now be naïve and risky not to have such a plan. The guide notes that a successful 1-Year planning process requires: Long-term commitment from the first planning steps to full implementation; Staff time, energy and resources; Willingness to engage diverse stakeholders and forge new partnerships; and Ability to think creatively about old problems and new and existing resources. In order to successfully create and execute a 1-Year Homeless Strategy in Riverside County, several tasks will need to be accomplished which include: 1. Identifying Stakeholders A stakeholder is defined as an individual or representative of a community entity that believes that the issues that involve and surround homelessness must be addressed. Stakeholders will include representatives from business districts, coalitions/committees, corporations, faith-based organizations, local government, neighborhood associations, nonprofit agencies, and public and private funders. 2. Creating and Convening a Working Group A Working Group, made up of the above stakeholders, will be established to coordinate the planning process and facilitate broader community input and participation throughout the planning process including public forums and workshops throughout the planning process. 3. Gathering Research and Data on Homelessness Accurate and timely research and data will help build a solid foundation for the 1-Year Strategy. Research and data will include: the results of the 24/25 Homeless Assessment, an inventory of existing services, a comprehensive needs and gaps analysis, implementation of a HUDmandated homeless management information system, an inventory of mainstream resources and the availability of public and private funding sources, and a review of best practice models from around the nation. 4. Defining Community Issues and Problems about Homelessness Stakeholders will utilize the research and other information as well as widespread community input to identify and assess the issues, problems and needs that define homelessness on the local level. A broad range of issues and concerns will be examined including service capacity issues, community safety concerns, engaging the chronically homeless, availability of funding, allocation of resources and public policy issues. COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT 9
5. Developing Strategies to Address Community Issues and Problems Strategies will be developed concerning the community issues and problems identified above. Strategies will also address residential and non-residential gaps in services, implementing a homeless management information system, obtaining public and private funding, obtaining available mainstream resources, and implementing potential project leveraging for homeless services and programs. 6. Soliciting Stakeholder and Community Response and Finalize Strategic Plan Soliciting stakeholder and community response will help ensure support and consensus for the final strategic plan. Support and consensus will be solicited through meetings, public forums, mailings and widespread distribution of the plan. 7. Creating an Action Plan to Implement Strategies The Action Plan will translate the strategies into concrete, actionable steps that will include a) specific activities and the person(s) or groups responsible for executing them; b) related costs and funding sources; 3) timelines; and 4) measurable performance outcomes. 1 WWW.HOMELESS-RESEARCH.COM
County of Riverside 25 Homeless Census
Section B County of Riverside 25 Homeless Census Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION...1 2. WHO WAS COUNTED?...2 3. HOW THE COUNT WAS CONDUCTED...3 4. WHO CARRIED OUT THE COUNT...4 5. CENSUS FINDINGS A. Total Number of Homeless Persons...4 B. Gender...4 C. Ethnicity...5 D. Age...5 E. Household Composition...6 F. Sheltered vs. Unsheltered...7 G. Where They Were Encountered...8 H. Homeless Children in Public Schools...9 COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT i
The County of Riverside 25 Homeless Census 1. INTRODUCTION On Wednesday, January 26 th, 25, hundreds of residents, service-providers and community officials from throughout the County of Riverside set out on the task of answering the question How many Homeless People are there in the County of Riverside on any given day? The goal of the 25 Homeless Census was to obtain an unduplicated count of homeless individuals and families on a given day in Riverside County. The comprehensive effort to identify the answer to this question included both a street-based enumeration, counting homeless individuals encountered on the streets, and a service-based enumeration, counting homeless individuals staying in emergency shelters and other limited stay housing facilities as well as those utilizing programs providing emergency assistance services. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the largest source of homeless program funding, has directed that continuum of care communities (such as Riverside County) biennially perform a oneday, point-in-time count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals beginning in the last week of January 25. Results of the 25 Census will provide a benchmark number by which the success of our efforts to provide effective programs and services to homeless individuals and families will be measured in the years to come. The completion of the 25 Homeless Census combined with the results of the recently completed 24 Homeless Survey also provides us with a battery of information that will serve as the basis for: understanding the nature and extent of the current trends in homelessness in Riverside County communities; responding to the unmet needs and gaps in services for homeless individuals and families in Riverside County; developing local community and countywide strategies to meet the goal of ending homelessness as we know it today over the next ten years. The methodology used to count homeless persons involved utilizing an enumeration instrument that included collecting a string of identifier information from those encountered in order to gather some basic demographic information as well as prevent counting homeless persons more than once during the process. An analysis of the demographic information collected during the 25 Homeless Census revealed a number of Key Findings which included: There are 4,785 people who are homeless on any given day in the County of Riverside; More than one out of five (1,91 or 23) homeless people in Riverside County on any given day are children under the age of 18; COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT 1
Women and children together make up almost half (2,231 or 46.6) of the homeless population in Riverside County on any given day; More than one of four (1,424 or 29) homeless people in Riverside County on any given day are under 25 years of age; Two out of three homeless men (1,716 or 66) are over 4 years of age and half of the homeless woman (569 or 49.9) are under 4 years of age on any given day; Only one-third (1,622 or 33.9) of the homeless population in Riverside County can be found residing in an emergency shelter or other temporary housing facility on ay given day; Almost half (2,11 or 44) of the homeless population in Riverside County can be found in the Western/Metropolitan region of the County on any given day. 2. WHO WAS COUNTED People counted during the 25 Homeless Census were those individuals and members of families that were considered homeless on the designated day of the count based on the definition of homelessness provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD provides the following definition: A person is considered homeless only when he/she resides in one of the places described below: a. in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings; b. in an emergency shelter; c. in transitional or supportive housing for homeless persons who originally came from the streets or emergency shelter. The 25 Homeless Census involved both a street-based and service-based enumeration of all homeless individuals in every city, community and unincorporated area of Riverside County on the designated day-of-thecount. The Census included a methodology using a simple count instrument for recording a small amount of identifier information from each homeless adult encountered during the process. Identifier information for the count was generally not collected from children under the age of 18 unless they were emancipated or otherwise homeless and unaccompanied. The number of children under 18 years of age in homeless families during the designated dayof-the-count was captured by asking the adults encountered how many children under 18 years old are living with you today? The street-based enumeration included homeless encampments and other places that homeless people use as part of their daily activities. Homeless encampments are those places that homeless people use primarily for sleeping. Other places (non-encampments) include streets and sidewalks where homeless people are usually en route, and locations that homeless people gather or hang out such as vacant lots, parks, municipal service or business centers, parked cars, abandoned buildings, and other locations that are not homeless encampments. The service-based enumeration included both residential and non-residential locations where homeless persons receive temporary housing and other essential services. Such places include emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, substance abuse treatment facilities, mental health service facilities, public social service agencies, public schools, food and clothing programs, etc. 2 WWW.HOMELESS-RESEARCH.COM
3. HOW THE COUNT WAS CONDUCTED The methodology that was implemented during the enumeration process included the creation of an identifier that served to prevent a person from being counted in the final tally more than once. During the enumeration, counters recorded the initials, gender, ethnicity, year of birth and state born of each adult encountered during the count. For example, an adult encountered may have had the following code of WTMW1957CA. This means that this person s first name began with W, his last name began with T, he was male M, he was White W, and born in 1957 in the state of California. If the same person was encountered again, enumerators would establish the same code. This information for every person every time would be loaded into a data base. However, this person would only be counted once in the final tally. An example including information about 1 persons is as follows: of First Last Gender Ethnicity Year State Persons Initial Initial Born Born 1 J H F W 196 CA 2 H T M L 1953 CA 3 R K F L 1972 NV 4 K N M AA 1969 CA 5 F A M A 198 NY 6 J F M W 1971 CA 7 J F M W 1971 CA 8 S G F L 1968 CA 9 D T M W 1962 AZ 1 O R M W 1959 CA Numbers 6 and 7 (shaded in gray) would be considered the same person. Therefore, the person would only be counted once in the final tally. If for some reason there was doubt that numbers 6 and 7 were the same person, other data collected that day from the person encountered was used to address the doubt. Utilizing this methodology allowed us to conduct the enumeration process over a longer period of time and in a larger number of locations without worrying about encountering people multiple times. This methodology also provided us the opportunity to collect a small amount of data useful to our efforts to understand some of the demographic make-up of our homeless population. 4. WHO CARRIED OUT THE COUNT The County of Riverside Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) Homeless Program Unit was the lead entity responsible for conducting the 25 Homeless Census. DPSS consulted with the Institute for Urban Research and Development (IURD), a Southern California-based nonprofit community-based research organization, to plan, organize and coordinate the 25 Homeless Census project for the County. IURD has successful conducted numerous homeless census projects in a variety of local jurisdictions throughout Southern California. In order to successfully complete a comprehensive countywide homeless census, DPSS and IURD staff reached out to every city government, school district, municipal agency and local service provider in Riverside County. Community-based project teams made up of local key informants and other stakeholders were formed in jurisdictions throughout the county to assist with project design, planning and implementation in their community. Community-based project teams included representatives from county departments, local government, social service agencies, outreach programs, law enforcement, school COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT 3
districts, formerly homeless individuals and a myriad of local nonprofit and faith-based service providers. In all, over 15 public and private agencies, service providers, faith-based organizations, and others as well as dozens of community volunteers contributed to the planning and implementation of the 25 Homeless Census project. Of particular note was the effort provided by the homeless outreach staff and other service professionals from the County Department of Mental Health Adult Systems of Care who provided significant assistance with planning, identifying locations and conducting enumeration efforts throughout the County. Key support for the census project was also provided by staff in County Supervisor Bob Buster s office. In addition, a number of incorporated cities in Riverside County assigned a lead staff person to assist with organizing the census project in their community as well as additional staff to participate in the enumeration process on the day of the count. Cities that assigned staff to participate in this project included: Banning, Beaumont, Blythe, Calimesa, Cathedral City, Coachella, Hemet, Indian Wells, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, rco, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Perris, Rancho Mirage, Riverside, San Jacinto and Temecula. 5. CENSUS FINDINGS A. Total Number of Homeless Persons There are 4,785 people who are homeless on any given day in the County of Riverside. 1,91, 23 3,694, 77 Adults Children Of the 4,785 homeless individuals counted, more than one out of five (1,91 or 23) were children under the age of 18. Forty-five (45) of the children under the age of 18 encountered during the census were unaccompanied youth. In a recent report entitled Ending Chronic Homelessness: Strategies for Action (March 23), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identified that each year, approximately one (1) percent of the U.S. population, some two to three million individuals, experience a night of homelessness over the course of a year. According to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, most jurisdictions have estimated that their annual homeless population was approximately four times greater than their point in time counts. Thus, applying this standard against the 25 point-in-time count for Riverside County, there are nearly 2, people who experience homelessness over the course of a year in this County. B. Gender Almost one-third of the homeless adults counted were female (3) however the majority of adults counted were male (7). Gender was not recorded for children. 4 WWW.HOMELESS-RESEARCH.COM
1,14, 3 Adult Males 2,599, 7 Adut Females When considered together, adult women (1,14) and children under the age of 18 (1,91) make up almost half of the homeless population in Riverside County on any given day. C. Ethnicity More than half (51.5) of the homeless adults counted were white representing a majority of the homeless population in Riverside County. More than one out of every four (27) homeless adults counted was Latino. African Americans made up one out of every seven adults counted (14.5). Native Americans represented 2 of adults counted and Asian/ Pacific Islanders represented less than one percent (.5). Ethnicity was not recorded for children. Naturally, men made up the overwhelming majority of homeless adults within each ethnicity. Gender percentages across each ethnicity ran about the same as they did for the homeless population as a whole except among African Americans. Women represented more than one-third (186 or 34.2) of all homeless African Americans encountered during the census. D. Age More than half of the adult population counted was from the baby-boomer generation born between 1946 and 1964. More than one-third (1,264 or 33.8) of adults was between the ages of 4-49 and almost one in five (68 or 18.2) was between the ages of 5-59. Almost one-third of the adults counted were between the ages of 25 and 4 (1,196 or 32) while almost one in four were over the age of 5 (895 or 23.9). Almost one in ten (333 or 8.9) adults counted were between the ages of 18 and 24. When the number of unaccompanied youth under 18 (45) along with the number of children in families (1,46) are factored in, more than one out of every four (29.7) homeless individuals in the Riverside County is under the age of 25. 25 2 1,932 Percent 15 1 5 543 African American 1,7 168 18 71 14.5.5 2 27 51.5 4.5 Asian Native American Latino White Other COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT 5
4 35 1,264 or 33.8 3 25 2 15 882 or 23.6 68 or 18.2 1 333 or 8.9 314 or 8.4 5 45 or 1.2 12 or 2.7 61 or 1.6 52 or 1.4 13-17 18-24 25-29 3-39 4-49 5-59 6-65 66-7 7+ One key finding of particular note was the fact that homeless adult men tended to be older with two out of three (1,716 or 66) being over 4 years of age while half of the homeless adult women counted (569 or 49.9) were under 4 years old. This finding suggests a growing trend of homelessness among women in Riverside County that should warrant further evaluation. E. Household Composition An overwhelming majority of homeless adults counted were single, unmarried individuals (84). 3,144, 84 595, 16 Married Single More than one out of every seven homeless adult counted identified that they had children under 18 years of age living with them today (542 or 14.7). 6 WWW.HOMELESS-RESEARCH.COM
3,152, 85 542, 15 F. Sheltered vs. Unsheltered Only one-third (1,622 or 33.9) of the County s homeless population can be found residing in an emergency shelter or other temporary housing facilities on any given day. Female adults faired better than men with more than one-third (413 or 36.2) counted in shelters or other temporary housing facilities while less than one of five (59 or 19.5) homeless men were counted in shelters or temporary housing facilities. These adults identified 1,46 children under 18 years of age living with them today representing more than one in five (22) homeless people counted on the designated day. Thus, one-third of the homeless people in Riverside County on any given day are members of families with children (33). 1,622, 34 Sheltered Unsheltered 3,163, 66 3,197, 67 1,588, 33 Persons in Families Single Individuals More than three out of four (416 or 76.7) of the homeless adults who identified that they had children living with them today were female. Almost three out of four (31 or 72.3) of the women with children identified their marital status as single. More than three out of five (6.8) homeless adults with children were non-white which includes more than onethird being Latino (186 or 34.3) and more than one-fifth (117 or 21.5) being African American. It should be noted that those individuals counted who were spending the night at one of the County sponsored winter shelter locations were identified among the unsheltered population because of the limited and seasonal availability of these locations. Individuals who utilize the winter shelter locations are admitted on a night by night basis and the majority of the population is extremely transient and often different from one night to the next. Families with children faired slightly better than single individuals when it comes to shelter accommodations. Less than half (73 or 46) of the persons in families with children who are homeless on any given day in Riverside County can be found in an emergency shelter or other temporary housing facilities. More than half (225 or 54) of the homeless adult women with children under 18 years old living with them were counted in temporary housing facilities. COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT 7
6 5 495 552 4 3 2 235 36 Parents Children 1 Sheltered Unsheltered G. Where They Were Encountered During the 25 census process, volunteers were asked to identify the location where each homeless adult was encountered on the day of the count. Counters were asked to identify the city or community where they were conducting the enumeration as well as record the address, cross streets or other identifying information for the location where they encountered individuals (i.e. Main Street between A and B St.; 7-11 parking lot at Delancy & First St.) and/ or the name of the service provider location, if any (i.e. ABC Shelter, 1 st Baptist Church Food Pantry). Almost half (44 or 2,11) of the homeless population in Riverside County can be found in the Western/Metropolitan region of the County on any given day. Region Region A (Western/Metropolitan) 2,11 44 Region B (I-15 Corridor) 492 1.3 Region C (Mid-County) 717 15 Region D (Desert/Coachella Valley) 1,362 28.5 Region E (Blythe) 14 2.2 Total 4,785 1 It is important to note that the city or community identified was simply where that adult was encountered at that particular point-in-time. The city or community in which an individual was encountered does not necessarily represent where that individual was sleeping at the time or the community where they originally became homeless. Where a homeless individual was encountered for the census was significantly affected by the availability of services - such as temporary housing facilities, social service offices, substance abuse and mental health treatment programs and locations providing food, clothing and other essential services located 8 WWW.HOMELESS-RESEARCH.COM
in certain communities. The table below identifies the cities and communities in which homeless adults and their children were encountered during the 25 Homeless Census as reported by the volunteers participating in the enumeration process. Community Community Community Anza 3 Idyllwild 5 Perris 32 Banning 66 Indio 645 Riverside 1,391 Beaumont 51 La Quinta 12 Rubidoux 11 Blythe 14 Lake Elsinore 163 San Jacinto 27 Cabazon 9 Lakeland Village 1 Sun City 12 Calimesa 1 Mecca 16 Temecula 15 Cathedral City 86 Moreno Valley 119 Thermal 11 Coachella 72 rco 13 Thousand Palms 7 Corona 21 Palm Desert 3 Valle Vista 1 Desert Hot Springs 139 Palm Springs 336 Whitewater 5 Hemet 545 Pedley 4 March Air Force Base 265 TOTAL 4,785 In addition to recording where homeless individuals were encountered during the enumeration, the census count instrument also included the following questions asked of those encountered in what city did you sleep last night? and in what city was your last address? Almost four out of five (2,954 or 79) homeless adults encountered during the enumeration identified their last address was in a city or community in Riverside County. Almost three out of four (2,169 or 58) adults encountered identified that they slept the night before in the same city or community where they identified their last address to be. H. Homeless Children in Public Schools The federal Child Left Behind Initiative includes a provision requiring all public school districts to identify, track and provide special services to children in homeless families in an effort to help mitigate the impact of their housing situation on their educational progress. Aggressive efforts were made to include all school districts in the 25 Homeless Census in order to more accurately portray the true extent of the homeless situation in Riverside County. A number of school districts and their staff actively participated in the planning and implementation of the 25 Census project. Unfortunately, not all school districts were able to provide information for use in this study and thus the numbers that were reported by local schools were not COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24/25 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT 9
included in the final tallies presented in this report. However, the information collected during the census process was notable and thus is reported below. For each school district identified, two sets of information is presented. The first column includes numbers reported as part of the 25 Homeless Census project and the second column includes numbers reported to the state of California as part of their data collection process for the 23/24 School Year. Where xx appears in the columns symbolizes districts that did not provide data. Even with only half of the districts reporting numbers, there were over 1,5 homeless children in schools identified at the time of the 25 Homeless Census. District 25 3/4 District 25 3/4 Census School Yr. Census School Yr. Alvord U. 18 61 Murrieta xx 5 Banning U. Xx xx Nuview Union xx xx Beaumont U. 12 23 Palm Springs 162 131 Coachella 2 xx Palo Verde xx Xx Corona-rco Xx 35 Perris Elem. 1 7 Desert Center Xx xx Perris H.S. xx Xx Desert Sands 7 5 Riverside 1,155 1,272 Hemet Xx 1 Romoland xx xx Jurupa Xx xx San Jacinto 36 53 Lake Elsinore Xx xx Temecula 27 43 Menifee Xx 5 Val Verde xx xx Moreno Valley 97 xx Riverside Co. xx 468 TOTAL 1,526 2,26 1 WWW.HOMELESS-RESEARCH.COM
County of Riverside 24 Homeless Survey
Section C County of Riverside 24 Homeless Survey Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Key Findings Primary Contributors to Homelessness a. Frequency of Domestic Violence 5 b. Lack of Income 6 c. Need for Health Care 7 d. Pervasiveness of Substance Abuse 8 e. Prevalence of Mental Illness 11 3. Key Findings General Profile Page a. Chronic Homelessness 15 b. Duration of Homelessness 16 c. Education 17 d. Family History 18 e. Children 2 f. Foster Care 21 g. HIV/AIDS 23 h. Mainstream Resources 24 i. Meals 27 j. Physical Assault 29 k. Pregnancy 3 l. Residency 31 m. Tranportation 33 n. Use of Tobacco 34 o. Veteran Status 34 p. Geo-History 36 q. Religion 37 r. Social Services 38 THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24 HOMELESS SURVEY i
Introduction The primary purpose of the County of Riverside 24 Homeless Survey Project is to provide the people of Riverside County and its wide variety of community stakeholders with a unique opportunity to understand its homeless population unlike ever before. Awareness of, and concern for, homeless people often exceeds a community s knowledge of the issue. Thus, the range and severity of the issues surrounding homelessness are yet to be fully understood. The results of the 24 Homeless Survey provide Riverside County with a comprehensive battery of information that will serve as the basis for developing strategies for public and private agencies to respond to specific needs of homeless families and individuals and develop strategies for filling gaps in services in the regional homeless continuum of care system through public and private collaborations. The primary objective of the 24 Homeless Survey was to implement a street-based and service-based one-on-one interview process designed to identify specific demographic information as well as assess the service needs of the homeless population throughout the County of Riverside. The Homeless Survey was conducted over an eight week period from February through April of 24. During this period, over 1, (1,91) comprehensive one-on-one survey interviews were conducted with homeless adults living on the streets and in shelter/transitional housing environments throughout the county. Over 3 public and private agencies, service-providers and faith-based institutions participated in conducting survey interviews in all five regions of the countywide homeless continuum of care. HOW THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED The 24 Homeless Survey involved a process of administering a comprehensive one-onone interview survey with a representative sampling of homeless adults in Riverside County. There were three (3) primary methods of contact with homeless persons who participated in the assessment survey. They were: 1) interviews with homeless persons who were contacted on the streets; 2) interviews with homeless persons who were contacted while living in shelters and transitional housing; and 3) interviews with homeless persons who were contacted while using non-residential homeless services. One primary goal of the 24 Homeless Survey process was to administer at least 1, surveys in order to produce a representative sample of the homeless adult population living on the streets, using homeless services, or living in residential homeless programs. Current estimates of the number of homeless adults on any given day in the County of Riverside range from 2,5 to 8,1. The total number of complete and valid surveys administered during this process was 1,91 which represents 2.6 of the mid-range (5,3) of the estimated number of homeless people on any given day in Riverside County. In addition to the countywide survey goal, a primary objective was to collect a representative sampling of surveys from within each of the designated regions within the county s homeless continuum of care. The following table identifies the number and percentage of complete and valid surveys collected from homeless adults in each of the designated regions in the county. THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE 24 HOMELESS SURVEY 1