Homelessness In California Essay

Homelessness has become a widespread issue throughout the United States, yet California is taking the cake regarding homelessness per capita. As of 2022, 30% of all people in the United States experiencing homelessness resided in California, including half of all unsheltered people reaching numbers as high as 115,491 individuals in California (Herrera and Paaluch). Despite California's reputation as a prosperous and thriving state, the persistent issue of homelessness continues to plague the region due to a combination of economic factors, a lack of affordable housing, and inadequate mental health care. Within the past four years, the sheltered homeless population in California has skyrocketed, experiencing a 33% increase in sheltered individuals,

California’s homeless epidemic affects hundreds of thousands of individuals and families daily. Despite efforts to address this problem, it persists and even worsens in some areas of the state. The issue of homelessness in California is a problem that requires a complex approach involving both short-term and long-term solutions. This essay explores the numerous causes and effects of homelessness in California and examines the strategies and policies implemented to address this issue.

California’s homeless crisis was not always as bad as it is known to be now. According to Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, "In the 1970s, there was an adequate supply of affordable units for every low-income household that needed one…but by the 1980s, homelessness emerged as a chronic issue” (Rosalsky). There were many potential reasons for this sudden increase in the

They have the most at stake regarding government policies, community help, and non-profit resources. These individuals are also most impacted by arguably anti-homeless laws, LAMC 56.11, as previously discussed above, and anti-homeless or “hostile” architecture. From the armrests in the middle of benches to large rocks added underneath bridges and along sidewalks (Hope), these conscious architectural designs actively try to repel homeless individuals from sleeping or lounging in public spaces. Hostile architecture can be found all over California neighborhoods, but it’s prevalent in and near parks and public transit stations. Not all hostile architecture is so innocent; there are spikes, pig ears, bollards, grates, and other elements (like bolted vents making it impossible to sleep near a heating vent in winter in colder climates, for example) to dissuade homeless individuals from resting or sleeping in alleys, near storefronts, or in parks