Homeless survey shows 12% decrease in Riverside County
Riverside County is reporting a 12 percent decrease of homeless people countywide after comparing a recent survey to a similar count from 2015.
Despite decreases countywide among the unsheltered homeless in much of the county, the homeless populations in a few cities increased since last year; Blythe, Coachella, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Norco, Palm Desert, Perris, San Jacinto and Wildomar.
2016 unsheltered homeless count
Homeless count comparison from 2013-2016
County officials said the ‘point-in-time’ count on January 26 totaled 2,165 adults and children, compared to last year’s count of 2,470. About 503 volunteers stepped up early that morning to hand out surveys to more than 130 agencies that participated in the homeless count.
Executives from local shelter, Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, disagree with the numbers, saying there are at least 6,000 homeless people in Riverside County- triple what was recorded.
The Riverside County Department of Public Social Services told News Channel 3 they have a 0% margin of error. They have had a consistent number of volunteers who have done the counting each year.
The agencies involved in collecting the data included city offices, law enforcement, social services, and nonprofits. Volunteers worked with the agencies to identify homeless individuals living on the streets, in abandoned buildings, at freeway overpasses and underpasses, in vehicles, and encampments, according to the county’s release.
Since 2011, Riverside County has seen sharp decreases in the number of homeless people counted. Between 2011 and 2016, there has been an overall 65 percent decrease.
The Riverside County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) Homeless Programs Unit has commissioned the bi-annual homeless counts since 2005, when they were first required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
There was also a very slight decrease in the number of unsheltered homeless veterans who were surveyed as compared to 2015, when 102 homeless veterans were counted. That number dropped to just 100 homeless veterans in the 2016 count.
In Riverside County, 323 homeless veterans were permanently housed in 2015. DPSS Director Susan von Zabern noted the number of homeless veterans counted this year in eight cities was lower than last year. Those cities are Banning, Beaumont, Blythe, Coachella, Cathedral City, Palm Springs, Riverside and Temecula.
“Although we were able to successfully help 323 homeless veterans, the fact that we still identified more than 100 homeless veterans indicates that we still need to do more to ensure that the support systems are in place and working to assist veterans as they transition back to civilian life,” von Zabern said.
Read more about the 2016 Riverside County Homeless Count and Survey Report
