By Ana Gomez Salcido
The number of unsheltered homeless people in San Diego County increased this year, according to the San Diego Point-in-Time Count made by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless San Diego.
The unsheltered count increased 18.9 percent, from 4,156 to 4,940 individuals, between 2015 and 2016. The count was conducted in late January 2016, and the results were published this summer.
“The increase is due to a number of different factors. The housing market in San Diego is really tough and it is very hard for somebody to find an affordable apartment,” said Ruth Bruland, Chief Program Officer at Father Joe’s Villages. “A lot of the apartments that were affordable have been rehabilitated, making rents go up, so more people are losing their housing.”
A total of 8,692 individuals were counted as homeless in San Diego County this year. Out of the total count, 3,752 people were counted as sheltered.
Bruland mentioned that Father Joe’s Villages offers different programs and services that address homelessness in San Diego. One of the most important ones is the Interim Housing Program.
“The most helpful program to ending homelessness as quickly as possible is our interim housing program located in the City of San Diego,” said Bruland. “When you are trying to help someone in their homelessness, it can take a coordinated effort and if that person is on the street it is really hard to find them. You need to give them something that is available, and if you can’t find them, you can’t help them.”
Bruland explained that there are a lot of people that want to help out homeless people like giving them food, and although it is a nice thing to do, it doesn’t link individuals to the services that they need.
“So much of what the general public knows about homelessness is that they are people panhandling with signs asking for spare change. There is so much to homelessness that someone holding up that sign,” said Bruland.
“There are many people in San Diego that had housing but hit some bumps in life like losing their jobs, family issues, or drug addiction and became homeless,” Bruland said. “These are people that with concentrated help, are going to be able to go back to their homes. Without that help, their homelessness is going to last and last.”
Bruland said it can be so tempting for people to do small things like bringing hot lunches for people, but it is better if they can volunteer or donate money to an organization that can really make a difference by providing services to help end homelessness.
“Donating to Father Joe’s Villages, rescue missions, and all other organizations is a tremendous gift for the community because we can turn that money into concrete work to help the homeless,” Bruland concluded.