<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/omeka-net/39333/archive/files/2966b70d760ec4d29850b058f30a040e.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI3ATG3OSQLO5HGKA&Expires=1528350653&Signature=XlOkL5ayH9eurdWyrBifhXSEoTY%3D"></a>Answers to Questions: About the Current Homelessness Crisis in the OC
Emergency Shelters (aka Emergency Housing) (Type of Homeless Housing)
Permanent Supportive Housing
Housing First
In late March and April of 2018, discussions erupted among many Southern Orange County residents about homelessness in the OC. In an effort to help the community know more about the history, the current situation, and potential solutions of homelessness, on May 31st, 2018, the Orange County Chinese Americans Parents Book Club (OCCAPBC) and Future Chinese Leaders of America (FCLA) organized a forum at 10 Corporate Park, Suite 120, Irvine. Professors Dr. David Snow, Dr. Jacob Avery, and Dr. Yang Su, three experts in researching homelessness, social inequality and poverty from Department of Sociology of UCI were invited to present their research results on the true cause of homelessness and the better initiative to combat it. People planning to attend the forum sent 8 questions to Jing Sun. Irvine For Everyone (I4E), a grassroots initiative that was launched on April 11, 2018 to change the dominant NIMBY narrative and help residents become informed, supportive neighbors, publicized the forum, and prepared this document. I thank Mr. Jing Sun for organizing the forum and allowing me to share about I4E. It is my honor to invite OCCAPBC and FCLA to join I4E and thank those members who’ve already signed-on. Resources plus opportunities for learning and service are included. Anita Coleman, Ph.D., Irvine, CA. June 1st, 2018
Anita Coleman
Garrett Dunbar
June 1, 2018
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/omeka-net/39333/archive/files/60a886d8f6c75690f66d41e59de8c77c.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI3ATG3OSQLO5HGKA&Expires=1528605633&Signature=VVZcBdLQ5GN4dhR8zld1mKbqBgg%3D">https://s3.amazonaws.com/omeka-net/39333/archive/files/60a886d8f6c75690f66d41e59de8c77c.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI3ATG3OSQLO5HGKA&Expires=1528605633&Signature=VVZcBdLQ5GN4dhR8zld1mKbqBgg%3D</a>
<a href="https://citylimits.org/2015/02/25/after-the-shouting-do-shelters-and-supportive-housing-harm-neighborhoods/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">After the Shouting, Do Shelters and Supportive Housing Harm Neighborhoods?</a>
This article which cites research studies and data tries to answer the following questions in the wake of disputes against shelters for homeless in NY: What effects do residential facilities for the homeless really have on their surroundings? Are the anti-shelter groups in Far Rockaway, Glendale, Elmhurst and on the Upper West Side right? Does housing for the homeless put an undue strain on local services and pose a threat to schoolchildren? Does the city give communities too little input or concentrate such facilities unfairly in certain neighborhoods?
What does the research say?
Researchers say that two of the most common concerns about residences for the homeless—shelters and supportive housing—are that they will reduce property values and increase crime. Accordingly, these claims have received the most attention in scholarship.
... fears about housing for the homeless can be overblown—a finding that largely reinforces broader research.
What’s to blame for this gap between expectations and outcomes, between perhaps understandable assumptions and more nuanced truths? “They just don’t want the idea of a shelter in their neighborhood,” said Johnson, the resident of the Westchester Square facility, of local opponents. Sometimes, it seems, ideas can be more menacing than reality.
Jesse Coburn
<a href="https://citylimits.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CityLimits.org</a>
February 25, 2015
HTML
<a href="http://homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/pauly_programevaluation_sept2012.pdf">Strategies to End Homelessness: Current Approaches to Evaluation </a>
Homelessness is a concern throughout Canada in rural, urban, southern and northern areas (Wellesley Institute, 2010). One estimate of homelessness in Canada indicates that there are about 150,000 people who seek refuge in emergency shelters nightly (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2009).
Being homeless is associated with poor physical and mental health (Frankish, Hwang, & Quantz, 2005; Hwang et al., 2008; Research Alliance for Canadian Homelessness Housing and Health, 2010; Wright & Tompkins, 2005), early death (Cheung & Hwang, 2004; Hwang, 2000; Hwang, Wilkins, Tjepkema, O’Campo, & Dunn, 2009; Spittal et al., 2006), lack of access to health care services (Ensign & Planke, 2002; Pauly, in press; Wen, Hudak, & Hwang, 2007), increased risk of depression and suicide (Buhrich, Hodder, & Teesson, 2006; Menzies, 2006) and victimization (Khandor & Mason, 2007). Homelessness impacts a diverse group of men, women, youth, and families, including Aboriginal peoples, military veterans, immigrants and refugees.
In the last decade, there have been calls for a shift away from managing homelessness to ending homelessness (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2000; The Alberta Secretariat for Action on Homelessness, 2008). Managing homelessness focuses mainly on providing emergency shelter and charitable meal programs as temporary assistance for those in need of food and shelter. An over-emphasis on emergency responses is more expensive than placing individuals directly into housing (Larimer et al., 2009; National Alliance to End Homelessness; Patterson, Somers, MacIntosh, Shiell, & Frankish, 2007) and has negative impacts on the health, safety, and wellbeing of people experiencing homelessness and the communities they live in.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of research on interventions that aim to end or reduce homelessness. Our specific goals were to gain an understanding of the different populations for whom interventions have been tested and the type of interventions evaluated, as well as to create an inventory of the indicators used to assess the effectiveness of interventions. We provide an overview of the methodology used to gather research on strategies to end homelessness. In the findings, we review the types of interventions evaluated, highlight the populations studied, and summarize the indicators of effectiveness used in the evaluations. Finally, we discuss the findings of this review in relation to current and future research on homeless interventions.
The study conclusion: in evaluating homelessness initiatives, there [needs to] be attention to broader systemic responses to end homelessness.
Bernie Pauly, RN, Ph.D.
Elly Carlson, MA
Kathleen Perkin, MA
<a href="http://homelesshub.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Homeless Hub</a>
2012
2012 Canadian Homelessness Research Network Press.
PDF
English
Research
Canada
<a href="http://rethinkhomelessness.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/HOMELESS-PAPER-11-15-13.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Survey of Best Practices: Communities Making A Difference</a>
Most People Aren’t Affected by Homelessness. Until You Are. Until you come home from a war and just can’t tackle the day-to-day responsibilities needed to provide shelter. Until an elder, without money or family, takes to the street. Until the homeless congregate near your business and discourage customers. Until a global economic recession leaves 13 million U.S. wage earners without jobs and 4 million families without homes. Until a friend of a friend or a family member, for whatever reasons, cannot find a safe place to sleep for the night. These are the stories of 10 American communities which faced the homeless challenge and found answers. The communities are as different as are the solutions. But there were some common themes.
We interviewed representatives from each of these communities and fully understand this is a summary of just some of the best community— building ideas in the country. But we believe in the power of asking successful folks who have struggled with how to end homelessness what they did and how they did it; it’s that simple.
This report is written under the guidance and at the request of
the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness. The authors are the three founding partners of triSect LLC, a strategy firm focused on civic innovation. We have donated our time to explore what communities across the United States are doing to end homelessness.
28 pages.
TriSect, LLC
2013 (November)
PDF
English
Report
http://rethinkhomelessness.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/HOMELESS-PAPER-11-15-13.pdf
United States
<a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/hsgfirst.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Applicability of Housing First Models to Homeless Persons With Serious Mental Illness</a>
Housing First
Understanding homelessness is a necessary step toward ending it, especially for those persons living with a chronic condition such as mental illness, an addiction, or physical disability. Ending chronic homelessness remains a national goal for President Bush, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and many within the homeless advocacy community.
In recent years, an approach known as Housing First has emerged as one model for serving chronically homeless people. HUD began this study as a first step in describing how Housing First programs actually work and what sorts of short term outcomes are realized by the people they serve.
This report, The Applicability of Housing First Models to Homeless Persons with Serious Mental Illness, provides a basic description of several programs that represent a Housing First model. The report should help clarify the issues and inform the policy discussion about how best to address the most vulnerable in American society.
Carol L. Pearson, Ph.D., Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc.
Gretchen Locke, Abt Associates Inc.
Ann Elizabeth Montgomery, Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc.
Larry Buron, Ph.D., Abt Associates Inc.
<a href="https://www.huduser.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prepared for: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and Research</a>
2007 (July)
PDF
English
Report
United States of America
No Safe Place: A Survey of Hate Crimes and Violence Committed Against Homeless People in 2014 & 2015
Homelessness
No Safe Place: A Survey of Hate Crimes and Violence Committed against Homeless People in 2014 & 2015 documents the known cases of violence against individuals experiencing homelessness by housed individuals in those two years. The report includes descriptions of the cases, current and pending legislation that would help protect homeless people, and recommendations for advocates to help prevent violence against homeless individuals.
NCH has documented 1,650 acts of violence against homeless individuals by housed perpetrators over the past 17 years (1999
-2015). These crimes are believed to have been motivated by the perpetrators' biases against people experiencing
homelessness or by their ability to target homeless people with relative ease. The crimes include an array of atrocities such as
murder, beatings, rapes, and even mutilations.
101 pages.
<a href="http://nationalhomeless.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Coalition for the Homeless</a>
<a href="http://nationalhomeless.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Coalition for the Homeless</a>
July 2016
PDF
English
Report
United States of America
<a href="https://www.jamboreehousing.com/uploads/presentations/jamboree-united-way-cost-study-oc-homelessness-2017-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Homelessness In Orange County: The Costs To Our Community</a>
The purpose of this project has been to conduct a countywide cost study, with two primary objectives:
First, to estimate the economic expenditures on homelessness that have accrued to the county, its 34 municipalities, and its non-governmental service agencies, including hospitals and non-profits providing services to this population; Second, to assess the extent to which the costs of serving the homeless vary across the spectrum of those living on the streets and in shelters versus those living in alternative forms of housing.
71 pages
Dr. David Snow, Dept. of Sociology, UCI
Dr. Rachel Goldberg,Dept. of Sociology, UCI
<a href="%20https%3A//www.jamboreehousing.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jamboree Housing</a>
June 2017
PDF
English
Report
Orange County
<a href="http://furmancenter.org/files/FurmanCenterPolicyBriefonSupportiveHousing_LowRes.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Impact of Supportive Housing on Surrounding Neighborhoods: Evidence from New York City</a>
Permanent Supportive Housing
This 8-page policy brief is a summary of the Furman Center’s research on the effects supportive housing has on the values of surrounding properties.
...findings show that the values of properties within 500 feet of supportive housing show steady growth relative to other properties in the neighborhood in the years after supportive housing opens. Properties somewhat further away (between 500 and 1,000 feet) show a decline in value when supportive housing first opens, but prices then increase steadily, perhaps as the market realizes that fears about the supportive housing turned out to be wrong. The city, state, and providers of supportive housing must continue to maximize the positive effects of supportive housing and ensure that supportive housing residences remain good neighbors. But the evidence refutes the frequent assertions by opponents of proposed developments that supportive housing has a sustained negative impact on neighboring property values.
The full study is available at http://furmancenter.nyu.edu.
<a href="http://furmancenter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Furman Center for Real Estate & Urban Policy, New York University</a>
PDF
English
Policy Brief
New York -- United States
<a href="https://youtu.be/RZUlkU5oQ1M" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Conversation on Poverty (video)</a>
A conversation between Mohammed Ally, attorney and founder of Orange County Poverty Alleviation Coalition and Irvine resident and researcher Dr. Coleman. Provides a good overview of the OC Homelessness crisis at this point in time, March - May 2018, introduces Irvine for Everyone, which Anita founded to advocate for homeless housing in Irvine. (http://tinyurl.com/irvineforeveryone)
Orange County Poverty Alleviation Coalition
2018
mp3
Video
<a href="http://legacy.cityofirvine.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=22223" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">City of Irvine 2013 - 2021 Housing Element</a>
The Irvine Housing Element (122 pages, PDF) is structured to reflect the “Housing Element Building Blocks” model developed by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
HCD is responsible for reviewing the Housing Element for compliance with state law. In addition to responding to the requirements of state law, the Irvine Housing Element demonstrates how the strategies to meet the City’s locally determined housing needs are methodically addressed through plans, programs and projects.
This Housing Element, while mandated by state law, also represents a roadmap for Irvine to continue its visionary leadership, ...
To ensure that all California cities and counties contribute to the statewide housing mandate to provide decent and adequate housing for all Californians, the Housing Element law institutes the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process. The RHNA is meant to allocate a “fair share” of the region’s housing needs to each individual jurisdiction, based on, among other factors, population and job growth, housing construction trends, commute patterns, infrastructure constraints, and household formation trends. For the planning period of October 15, 2013 through June 30, 2021, Orange County was allocated an overall RHNA of 37,966 units, with the City of Irvine being allocated a RHNA of 12,149 units. Irvine has addressed the RHNA allocation in this Housing Element Update by continuing its strategic planning for the community and identifying appropriate locations for housing at density levels required by state law for the total RHNA.
<a href="http://webadmin.cityofirvine.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">City of Irvine</a>
<a href="http://webadmin.cityofirvine.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">City of Irvine</a>
[n.d.]2013 (?)
PDF
English
City of Irvine, California
<a href="http://www.ocgrandjury.org/pdfs/2017_2018_GJreport/2018-05-31_Homeles_Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Where There's Will There's A Way: Housing Orange County's Chronically Homeless</a>
Permanent Supportive Housing
Does the County of Orange have the political will to overcome the roadblocks to housing the county’s chronically homeless population? That's the question the 2017-2018 Orange County Grand Jury examined.
Despite research evidence for the success of the 'Housing First" model the Grand Jury found significant roadblocks for ending homelessness such as resident resistance (NIMBY), lack of collaboration between the County and Cities, and the difficulty of funding and siting.
The Grand Jury concluded that "If political will is defined as a sufficient number of key decision-makers who are intensely committed to supporting Permanent Supportive Housing as a solution for the chronically homeless, then the answer is “not yet.”
To improve collaboration and overcome roadblocks, the Grand Jury recommends the County and cities establish a regional body empowered to develop and implement a comprehensive business plan for siting and funding Permanent Supportive Housing development." 38 page report with an extensive list of references and resources that show that housing first works, homeless housing do not decrease property values or increase crimes (two concerns of residents who frequently resist siting homeless housing near neighborhoods). The Grand Jury also reports that Orange County which is the 10th most expensive place to live in the nation, where incomes have not kept pace with fair market rents does not have enough homeless housing. Includes an extensive list of peer reviewed research, websites, videos and other resources.
<a href="http://www.ocgrandjury.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orange County Grand Jury</a>
<a href="http://www.ocgrandjury.org/reports" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orange County Grand Jury</a>
May 31, 2018
PDF
English
Report
Orange County - California
<a href="https://www.211oc.org/images/PIT-Final-Report-2017-072417.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orange County Continuum of Care 2017 Homeless Count and Survey Report Point In Time</a>
On a single night in January 2017, 4,792 people experienced homelessness in Orange County. Homeless people in Orange County are diverse: they are young and old, men and women, chronic and newly homeless, alone or in families. The
2017 count shows that homeless people comprise 0.15 % of the total population of Orange County. This report was Commissioned by 2-1-1 Orange County and Prepared by Focus Strategies.
Tracy Bennett, Director of Analytics and Evaluation, Focus Strategies
Genevieve Williamson, Chief Analyst, Focus Strategies
Samantha Spangler, Analytics Consultant, Focus Strategies
Courtney Jimenez, Analytics Intern, Focus Strategies
<a href="https://www.211oc.org/reports/point-in-time.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2-1-1 Orange County</a>
July 2017
PDF
English
Report
Survey
Orange County - California - United States
<a href="http://www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/housing-element/docs/SB35_StatewideDeterminationSummary01312018.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SB 35 Statewide Determination Summary</a>
3 table; 7 page report from the California Dept. of Housing and Community Development is a determination that represents Annual Progress Report (APR) data received as of January 31, 2018, and will be updated at least quarterly to incorporate new or corrected data provided by jurisdictions. According to their SB-35 analysis:
Table 1 - only 13 jurisdictions in California have met their prorated Lower (Very-Low and Low) and Above-Moderate Income Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) for the Reporting Period and submitted their latest APR (2016). These jurisdictions are not currently subject to SB 35 (Chapter 366, Statutes of 2017) streamlining. All other cities and counties beyond these 13 are subject to at least some form of SB 35 streamlining (Tables 2 and 3).
How does the City of Irvine fare? This analysis shows that Irvine is not on Table 1. Table 2 shows that Irvine has enough affordable housing in the Above Moderate income RHNA - Irvine does not show up on the list of 378 jurisdictions that don't meet SB-35 (see page 3)
Table 3 shows that Irvine is one of 148 jurisdictions that while not subject to SB 35 streamlining for proposed developments with ≥ 10% affordability, are subject to SB 35 streamlining for proposed developments with ≥ 50% affordability. This means that Irvine is not making enough progress in the Lower income RHNA (Very Low and Low income housing) - see page 6 of this 7 page report.
<a href="http://www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/housing-element/index.shtml">California Department of Housing and Community Development</a>
January 31, 2018
PDF
English
Report
California -- United States
<a href="http://bos.ocgov.com/ceo/care/HOMELESS%20ASSESSMENT%20DCC%20REPORT_10.18.2016.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">An Assessment of Homeless Services in Orange County</a>
Susan Price (OC’s Continuum of Care Director aka The Homelessness Czar) assessment of homelessness services in Orange County and the need to do more. 43 pages. Includes glossary, program descriptions such as what does Continuum of Care mean? What is the Co-ordinated Entry system which is using the VI-SPDAT tool? Barriers, key findings, nature and number of homelessness in the OC, homelessness resources in the OC, laws and legislation, etc. are all described with graphics and text.
Susan Price, Director of Care Coordination, County Executive Office
<a href="http://www.ocgov.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Board of Supervisors, County of Orange</a>
[2016]
PDF
English
Report
Orange County - California
<a href="http://endhomelessness.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/housing-first-fact-sheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fact Sheet: Housing First</a>
Rapid Re-housing
A 2-page fact from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Answers these questions:
What is Housing First?
How is Housing First different from other approaches?
Who can be be helped by Housing First?
What are the elements of a Housing First program?
Does Housing First work?
A number of research studies are cited and listed at the end.
<a href="http://endhomelessness.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Alliance to End Homelessness</a>
<a href="http://endhomelessness.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Alliance to End Homelessness</a>
April 2016
English
Fact Sheet