The Source forHousing Solutions

Housing Community Forum: A Public Policy Perspective

Sharon Rapport, CSH, Associate Director, California Policy

Rents Increasing, Incomes Decreasing in California

Incomes Decreased 8% from 2000-2012

Rental CostsIncreased 20% from 2000-12

ONE MILLIONLow-income households in

California do not have accessto an affordable home.

Housing Affordable to People in Poverty in Orange County

70,125 = shortfall of rental housing units affordable and

available to people with extremely low incomes

18 = affordable and available places to live for every 100 renters with extremely low

incomes

Losses in $ for Rental Housing

Homelessness in Orange County

*Change in Methodology Resulted in Lower Homeless CountPoint-in-Time Chronic ShelteredUnsheltered Annual

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

4,272

7972,573 1,678

12,707

200920112013

Homelessness in CaliforniaH

omel

essn

ess

is

Incr

easi

ng in

Cal

iforn

ia

• 136,826 on a single night (22%)• 2nd largest increase (5,928,

4.5%)• Largest unsheltered population

(66.7%)• Highest percentage of homeless

individuals (29%)• Highest number of chronically

homeless individuals (36% of nation’s chronically homeless population)

• Second highest rate of chronic homelessness among all homeless people (29%)

• Highest decrease of families who are homeless (over 15%)

Hom

eles

snes

s is

D

ecre

asin

g N

atio

nwid

e

• 610,042 on a single night (from 633,782 in 2011)

• 2/3 living in shelters (65%)• Homeless people who are

unsheltered declined by 12% since 2012

• Families who are homeless declined by 7%

• 109,132 are chronically homeless (just less than 18%)

Role of Policy

Campaigns That Have Changed Affordable Housing

Small Group of Committed Citizens

Key Recommendations

Decide on specific, thoughtful, feasible, ambitious goals as a community

END FAMILY, VETERAN OR CHRONIC

HOMELESSNESS BY 2020

Key Recommendations

Arrive at a plan on how to achieve the goals, and get community buy-in to take

responsibility

Key Recommendations

Take advantage of opportunities, think outside the box

Don’t Get Discouraged

Be persistent, find new ways to achieve goals; policy is slow, and begins by changing

mindsets

Questions?? Type Your Question in Q&A Box

Sharon Rapport, Associate Director, California Policy Sharon.Rapport@csh.org (213) 623-4342, x 18 (323) 243-7424 (cell)