Sacramento Homeless Population

Sacramento Homeless Population



Sacramento Homeless Population

Introduction

Sacramento reported a 31 percent decrease in the number of homeless individuals on a single night in January 2009 compared to January 2008. This decrease was attributed to the city's success in increasing the number of permanent housing units available for chronically homeless single adults. However, Sacramento reported a 14 percent increase in homeless families during this same period. City officials attributed the increase to a combination of unemployment, foreclosures, and cuts in state funding for social services. One Sacramento shelter reported a 300-person waiting list for persons in families. The unmet need for shelter could increase in 2010 as budget issues have prompted the city to discontinue funding for emergency shelter. The housing crisis has also made it more difficult for the city to build additional permanent supportive housing units.

Discussion

Homelessness is not a new problem. But a bad economy means more people on the streets, and fewer government dollars to help them. Making it a crime to be homeless means even fewer can work their way out. The City's “camping ordinance” makes it illegal for anyone to use or store camping paraphernalia on public property. It makes being homeless a crime (www.shra.org).

Homeless World Sacramento is much different than what most people in our metropolis believe it to be. Local media and several homeless-help agencies mischaracterize things, or present matters in a wholly superficial way. They are much to blame for people's misapprehensions. Plus, the rallies and protests promulgated by Loaves & Fishes and its allied nonprofits are causal for the public to suppose that all homeless people are forever wailing and blustering for rights rathering than the greater truth that most function as scrappy survivors, taking on the responsibility of seeking their own well-being. Because sleeping homeless people continue to be rousted by area police, support for a safe homeless encampment is near-universal and unwavering "out here." God knows I'm gung-ho in support. It is weird out here in Homeless World Sacramento. The general public should know that a great many of the advocates for us in this town are greatly unworthy of the great majority of homeless and poor people who just want to pursue better lives in our freedom-loving (www.reuters.com).

Sacramento Steps Forward, for all its hoopla, is just the 10-year plan to end homelessness in new garb. These is sure to be ongoing movement on this. The mayor and Safe Ground will each take credit, but really this was in place during the Heather Fargo administration and is a national policy. The mayor promised to put forward a legal campground plan by last April. THAT didn't happen. Majorities on the City Council and County Supes oppose a legal campground and are cursorily aware of the communist thing; also, the cost of a campground with security that many deem necessary makes it too expensive to make much sense. The mayor continues to promise putting forward a campground plan but it isn't going anywhere ...