The Community Report of the 2022 Point-in-Time Count by the Butte Countywide Homeless Continuum of Care was released during a regular meeting on Monday.
Sherry Morgado is the community development manager for Housing Tools – the company contracted by the county to complete the report.
Morgado said the community report aims to inform the public at large, best practices for service providers, and the continuity of care to best use their funding.
“It’s really to help the community better understand homelessness. It’s a snapshot in time, and it certainly has its limits… but it’s what really happens around homelessness in Butte County. who is experiencing homelessness; what it looks like in each community,” Morgado said.
The Community Report describes data collected from a survey of people experiencing homelessness in a single day on January 25, 2022 and is available for viewing at https://www.buttehomelesscoc.com/.
Here are five key pieces from the community report released Monday afternoon.
survey factor
Morgado said the point-in-time count is expected to be less than the total number of people experiencing homelessness in Butte County.
“It’s always fair to assume that as with any study it underestimates people experiencing homelessness. … There are so many factors you can’t control – it’s impossible to find them all. Feeling homeless that day,” Morgado said.
The report noted that a spike of omicron types just before the study caused many volunteers and staff to become ill: Of the 233 people registered, 124 were able to show up on the day of the survey, resulting in individuals experiencing homelessness. number decreased.
Another factor influencing the survey is that wildfires of the past five years have contributed to a situation where fire-affected people in more rural areas are camping on their properties, the report said. Time resources are being pressed to find it. Masses were not available in this 2022 count.
Butte County Housing and Homeless Administrator Don Taylor said, “This is only part of the data set that is going to inform us or anyone else dealing with housing needs.” “The fact is we have found thousands in post-disaster areas trying to recover who are living on their properties. …they are still considered homeless. We’re not counting any of those because we can’t get to all areas of the foothills. ,
Finally, there were many survey questions that respondents simply didn’t answer or data was missing. Morgado said a number of factors influenced the data in this way, with respondents hesitating to either questions; The surveys were too long or that the volunteers did not conduct the survey correctly.
The report said employees are evaluating their 2022 experience to improve the next point-in-time count set for 2023.
Demographics
The Community Report includes 1156 people who completed point-in-time surveys. Of those surveyed, a total of 1,006 met the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of homelessness.
The Community Report uses a broader definition of homelessness that includes people in temporary or transitional housing.
Of those who completed the survey, 86 percent were reported as unmarried adults with no children while 14% were adults with children. The fact that the point-in-time count was conducted during school hours was noted in the report discussion and may have affected the survey results.
In Chico, 44% of respondents did not find shelter; 65% were in Auroville and 100% were sheltered in the ridge area and Gridley and Biggs. On the night of the survey, 40 percent of the homeless people stayed in a camp outside.
Across the country, 28% of respondents indicated that they met the definition of severely homeless – at least one year homeless while battling a disabling condition such as a serious mental illness, substance abuse disorder or physical disability.
Across the country, 42% of respondents indicated that they were homeless for the first time.
Homelessness affects the 10% of respondents who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, compared to 2.5% of their overall population across the country. For other races, 74% identified as white and 4% as black.
There were 107 respondents in the 0-17 age group and 48 respondents in the 18-24 age group.
cause
The people surveyed listed one or more reasons they think caused them to be homeless.
The top four reasons were: 18% employment or financial; 14% Family distress such as conflict, divorce, death, serious illness in the family; 12% alcohol or substance abuse; And 12% were forced to leave their homes or be evicted.
One hundred and thirty-three people indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic was a direct cause of their homelessness.
obstacles
“When asked what barriers keep you from accessing affordable housing, what people said the most was finding affordable housing,” Morgado said.
Those surveyed listed one or more barriers that prevented them from securing housing.
The top five barriers to finding affordable housing were 15%; 12% No money for rent or deposits; 9% poor or no credit; 9% job finding; And 8% are looking for services to help.
accommodation, service needs
Those surveyed listed one or more of their needs in housing.
Among the top three choices for housing and shelter options, 19% were interested in their own homes or apartments; 16% a tiny house; and 13% own room in a shared house.
Listing what services people will be interested in, the top eight answers are free laundry service, access to electricity, access to a shower, secure personal property storage, warming and cooling centers, transportation to appointments, temporary housing when sick , and was a life coach or. Case manager or custodian.
