County Survey Of Homeless Shows Sharp Incline

San Bernardino County saw a significant increase in the number of obviously homeless individuals within its 20,105 square mile confines over those tallied last year as reflected in its official count of the destitute its officials conducted in January.
County officials were quick to point out that improvements in its means of surveying and information-collection very likely accounted to some degree for the larger number of registered homeless, and that the upsurge in those living on the streets in the county was not as pronounced as the numbers reflected.
Nevertheless, the Sentinel is knowledgeable with regard to elements of the homeless population that were overlooked in the count that was carried out on January 24.
The survey was conducted by the San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership, which consists of 211-United Way San Bernardino County, the American Round Table to Abolish Homelessness, Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez-Reyes’ office, the California Department of Transportation, California State University – San Bernardino, the Church for Whosoever in Apple Valley, the Church of Latter Day Saints in Redlands, the Town of Apple Valley, the City of Barstow, the City of Big Bear Lake, the City of Chino, the City of Chino Hills, the City of Colton, the City of Fontana, the City of Grand Terrace, the City of Highland, the City of Loma Linda, the City of Montclair, the City of Needles, the City of Ontario, the City of Rancho Cucamonga, the City of Redlands, the City of Rialto, the City of San Bernardino, the City of Twentynine Palms, the City of Upland, the City of Victorville, the City of Yucaipa, the Town of Yucca Valley, the Environmental Systems Research Institute, the Family Assistance Program, the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Yucaipa, Mercy House of Ontario, Morongo Basin Haven, the Mountain Homeless Coalition, New Hope Village of San Bernardino, the county administrative office of San Bernardino County, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, the San Bernardino County Council of Governments, the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, the San Bernardino County Child Support Services Department, the San Bernardino County Human Resources Department, the San Bernardino County Information Services Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement Team, St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Skyforest, Step Up on Second, the United States Veterans Administration Healthcare System of Loma Linda, and the Water of Life Community Church/CityLink Youth Hope Foundation.
For reasons that are not clear, the City of Adelanto was not credited with being a part of the partnership.
The results of the survey were compended into a 150-page report entitled the 2020 San Bernrdino County Homeless Count and Subpopulation Survey Final Report.
The executive summary of the report states, “There were 3,125 persons who were counted as homeless on Thursday, January 23, 2020. The previous homeless count and subpopulation survey was completed in 2019 when 2,607 persons were counted. A comparison of the last two counts reveals that 518 more persons were counted in 2020, which represents an increase of 19.9%; 470 more persons were counted as unsheltered in 2020 when compared to the unsheltered count in 2019, which represents an increase of 24.5%; and 48 more persons were counted as sheltered in 2020 when compared to the sheltered count in 2019, which represents an increase of 7.0%.”
A table in the executive summary shows that in the 2019 homeless count 687 people without homes in the county were sheltered, 1,920 were living without shelter, for a total homeless count of 2,607 in the county. In 2020, according to the table, there were 735 homeless living in shelters and 2,390 living on the streets, for a total count of 3,125.
The report provides a breakdown of the homeless in the county by jurisdiction.
In Adelanto, according to the report, there were no sheltered homeless, 13 people living in transitional housing, 11 unsheltered, for a total of 24; In Apple Valley, there were seven sheltered homeless, no one living in transitional housing, 24 unsheltered, for a total of 31; In Barstow, there were three sheltered homeless, 27 people living in transitional housing, 78 unsheltered, for a total of 108; in unicorporated Big Bear City/Sugarloaf there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 12 unsheltered, for a total of 12; in incorporated Big Bear Lake, there were two sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, none unsheltered, for a total of two; in Bloomington, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 19 unsheltered, for a total of 19.
According to the report there were no homeless in Cajon Canyon nor in West Cajon Canyon, whatsoever.
In Chino, according to the table in the report, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 31 unsheltered, for a total of 31; in Chino Hills, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, two unsheltered, for a total of two; in Colton there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 136 unsheltered, for a total of 136; in Crestline, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 22 unsheltered, for a total of 22; in Fontana, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 116 unsheltered, for a total of 116; in Grand Terrace,  there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, five unsheltered, for a total of five; in Hesperia, there were seven sheltered homeless, six people living in transitional housing, 19 unsheltered, for a total of 32; in Highland, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 78 unsheltered, for a total of 78; in Joshua Tree, there were no sheltered homeless, five people living in transitional housing, 54 unsheltered, for a total of 59; in Lake Arrowhead, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 11 unsheltered, for a total of 11; and in Landers, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, two unsheltered, for a total of two.
According to the report there were no homeless in Lenwood, no homeless in Lytle Creek and no homeless in Mentone/Crafton, whatsoever.
In Loma Linda, according to the report, there were no sheltered homeless, 24 living in transitional housing, 27 unsheltered, for a total of 51; in Montclair, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 54 unsheltered, for a total of 54; in Morongo Valley, there were no sheltered homeless, five people living in transitional housing, none unsheltered, for a total of five; in Muscoy, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 24 unsheltered, for a total of 24; in Needles, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 16 unsheltered, for a total of 16; in Ontario, there were 14 sheltered homeless, 14 people living in transitional housing, 74 unsheltered, for a total of 102; in Phelan/Pinon Hills, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 11 unsheltered, for a total of 24; in Rancho Cucamonga, there were three sheltered homeless, three people living in transitional housing, 48 unsheltered, for a total of 54; in Redlands, there were 45 sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 141 unsheltered, for a total of 186; in Rialto, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 115 unsheltered, for a total of 115; in Running Springs, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, one unsheltered, for a total of one; in San Bernardino, there were 183 sheltered homeless, 50 living in transitional housing, 823 unsheltered, for a total of 1,056; in Twentynine Palms, there were 17 sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 28 unsheltered, for a total of 45; in Upland, there were no sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 44 unsheltered, for a total of 44; and in Victorville, there were 132 sheltered homeless, 21 living in transitional housing, 298 unsheltered, for a total of 451.
According to the report, there are no homeless in Yermo, whatsoever.
In Yucaipa, according to the report, there were four sheltered homeless, none living in transitional housing, 13 unsheltered, for a total of 17; and in Yucca Valley, there were eight sheltered homeless, 19 people living in transitional housing, 44 unsheltered, for a total of 71.
Elsewhere around the county or actually residing in unknown locations are 112 sheltered homeless, 11 living in transitional housing and 18 unsheltered for a total of 141.
Holding the top five spots for the sheer number of homeless, according to the report, were San Bernardino with 1,056; Victorville with 451; Redlands with 186; Colton with 136; and Fontana, with 116.
The list of cities hosting the top five highest totals of homeless in the county this year was 40 percent different than the list tallied last year when San Bernardino was in the unenviable first position with 890 homeless; Victorville 333; followed by Redlands with 183, Rialto with 133, and Ontario with 128.
Of the 3,125 persons counted in 2020, 2,390 or more than three-fourths (76.5%) were unsheltered, which is defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as “An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: (i) An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development require local jurisdictions to compile data on their homeless populations.
Of the county’s 3,125 homeless, 2,390 are unsheltered, according to the report. Of those 2,390, 2,361 are adults, and there are 21 children living in homeless families and eight unaccompanied youth under the age of 18 who are homeless. Of the 2,361 adults, 1,688 or 71.5 percent are men, and 656 or 27.8 percent are women. Three, or 0.1 percent are transgender and 14 or 0.6 are classified as gender non-conforming.
Within the unsheltered homeless adult population, 718 are Latino or Hispanic and 1,643 are Non-Hispanic or Non-Latino. Seven of the children in families are Latino or Hispanic and five are non-Hispanic or Non-Latino. Three of the unaccompanied homeless minors are Hispanic or Latino and five of the unaccompanied homeless minors are non-Hispanic or Non-Latino.
Of the adult unhoused population in the county, 57 or 2.4 percent are American Indian or Alaska Native; 18 or 0.8 percent are Asian; 505 or 21.4 percent are Black or African-American; 17 or 0.7 percent are Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; 1,345 or 57 percent are white; and 419 or 17.7 percent are classified as other.
Among the homeless children living with a family, one is American Indian or Alaska Native; six are Black or African-American; 11 are while; and three are classified as other. Five of the unaccompanied homeless youth are white and three are classified as other.
According to the report, 691 or 29.3 percent of those counted this year are chronically homeless adults; 440 or 18.6 percent were identified as having mental health problems; 185 or 7.8 percent were veterans; 497 or 21.1 percent were labeled “substance users”; and 640 or 27.1 percent were unaccompanied women.
Another 88 or 5.8 percent claimed they were in a state of homelessness because they were “fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.”
Known to the Sentinel is that there was some undercounting in the survey. While the report stated that there were no homeless in Cajon Canyon or West Cajon Canyon on January 24, in actuality there was a single homeless adult in Cajon Canyon in a tent and another single homeless adult, residing in a vehicle accompanied by his dog, in Cajon Canyon on January 24.
Mark Gutglueck

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