A Policy to Reduce Homelessness in California

Policy Memo Summary 

Problem Statement 

Homelessness is a problem that is affecting many people across many states in the United States of America. However, the most affected state is California, which has the highest number of homeless people in the whole of the United States of America. Homeless people face numerous challenges, including harsh weather, exposure to danger, diseases and deaths. As a result, the state needs to dress the problem of homelessness to improve the well-being of the people. 

Background 

About 3.5 million Americans are homeless annually, and the most affected are children and young people ( Henwood et al ., 2013). California accounts for about 25% of the total number the homeless in the country. Homelessness is mainly caused by a shortage of houses, poverty, mental illness, and single-parent families. The interventions to address the problem have not been effective. 

Internal Stakeholders 

Legislature 

Judiciary system 

The Department of Housing and Community Development 

Other Stakeholders 

Interests groups such as the California Alliance to Protect Private Property Rights (CAPPPP) and Housing California 

Politicians, especially Democrats and Republicans 

The Media 

Options 

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) 

Housing First 

The Linear Approach 

Recommendation 

The recommended policy of program is Housing First because it provides a permanent solution to the problem of noiselessness while addressing other needs of the homeless such as health and emotional support. The effectiveness of Housing First has been approved, and it is cost-effective. California should implement the Housing First policy to address the problem of homelessness. 

A Policy to Reduce Homelessness in California: Policy Memo 

Problem Statement 

Homelessness is increasingly becoming a national and international problem across the globe. The problem of homelessness is not only felt in developing countries but also in developed nations across the world. It is estimated that about one percent of people living in urban areas in developed countries are homeless. The USA is one of the developed countries in the world where homelessness persists despite numerous interventions. About 3.5 million are homeless at any given year ( Henwood et al ., 2013). California is one of the states that are leading in the number of homeless people. The state accounts for about 25% of the total number of homeless people in the USA ( Medina, 2017) . Unfortunately, the prevalence of homelessness is increasing in the state, making it one of the worst social problems that affect a significant number of California residents. Homeless people are exposed to a lot of security and health risks. Therefore, it is crucial for the USA, especially California to address the problem of homelessness that is now affecting thousands of people in the state. 

Background 

Homelessness is a problem that has existed in the USA as a whole for many years. Although only a small percentage of the population of homeless in the 19 th century, the issue became one of the significant problems in the 20 th and 21 st century, even though the country was experiencing a significant economic growth during the same period ( Wright, 2017) . The most affected segment of the population with homelessness is children and young people. Children account for 30% of people who are homeless, and the percentage may increase based on the demographic and economic changes ( Williams, 2017) . Unfortunately, many homeless people continue to suffer on the street while some contract chronic diseases. A significant number of homeless people have died because of cold and other related diseases. Both the national and federal government should address the problem of homelessness to save the lives of many Americans. 

Even though Homelessness is a national problem, it mostly affects California. According to the homelessness report that was released in 2017, about 114,000 California residents are homeless, and the number keeps on growing ( Medina, 2017) . Unlike other states, a substantial number of homeless people in California are unsheltered, which is an indication that they live in streets, in open places, and under freeways. Loss Angeles is one of the counties in California that lead regarding the number of homeless people. About 55,000 people who live in Loss Angeles are homeless as of 2017 ( Medina, 2017) . Comparably, only 13,000 residents of the county were homeless in 2016, which indicates that the number increased tremendously within a year ( Medina, 2017) . Thus, homelessness is a problem that the California government must deal with to improve the quality of life for the people. 

Many factors have led to the increasing rate of homelessness in California. One of the major causes of homelessness in California is an insufficient supply of affordable houses. With increasing population, the demand for homes has surpassed the supply, leading a shortage of housing, especially for low-income earners ( Wright, 2017) . At the same time, middle-income earners have pushed away low-income earners from their homes because of an increase in demand. Lack of enough homes, therefore, is one of the primary causes of homelessness in California. Consequently, the available houses are taken by middle and high-income earners, leaving low-income earners homeless due to the increasing cost of houses. Low-income households spend about 59% of their income on housing, which is not sustainable in long-term ( Wright, 2017) . Economic factors contribute a lot to the increasing rate of homelessness in the country and California. 

Some social factors also cause the problem. The increasing rate of singlehood or single-parent families is a factor that is contributing to homelessness in California ( Wright, 2017) . A two-parent family is less likely to end up homeless compared to a single-parent family because the latter has higher chances of experience financial instability than the former. Besides, the increasing number of people with mental illnesses is a factor that has resulted in a surge in the number of persons who are homeless. Apart from mental illness, many families have been rendered homeless after spending almost all their financial resources for treating family members with chronic diseases. Many families are subjected to abject poverty due to the invasion of chronic diseases, which requires a lot of money to manage. Generally, economic, social, and health factors contribute to homelessness. 

A lot of interventions had been formulated and implemented in the past to address the problem of homelessness. In 2016, for instance, the state government approved about $2 billion to assist in constructing new affordable houses. Another $35 billion was approved in the same year to provide rental assistance as well as emergency shelters to homeless people in the state. Unfortunately, the number of homeless people still rose by 16% between 2016 and 2018 (Dillon, 2018). Several interventions by the national government have also not achieved significant impact. As a result, the state government should formulate and execute an effective policy that can help in reducing homelessness. 

Internal Players 

The legislature is one of the major internal players that have contributed a lot towards address addressing the problem of homelessness. The legislature has allocated a lot of funds that are aimed at addressing the issue of homelessness in California. In 2017, the legislature approved about $100 million to assist the homeless after releasing about $35 billion for emergency shelters for the homeless. Nonetheless, a significant improvement has been achieved in the fight to eradicate homelessness due to some challenges. The $35 million that was released in 2016, for examples, took about 18 months before it was used because of the shortage of workforce in the housing departments (Dillon, 2018). It seems that the utilization of funds that are approved by the legislature is also a challenge to the reduction of homelessness. The legislature, which is one of the key internal players, has played an active role in addressing the problem of homelessness by making funds available. 

Another internal player is the judiciary system, which also has a role to play in determination to reduce homelessness in California. Although the judiciary system has no direct role in housing matters, it has the responsibility of ensuring that the rights of the homelessness are protected. Nevertheless, the judiciary has slowed the pace in the fight against homelessness by delaying cases that are presented in courts by various activists and lobbyists. For instance, the $2 billion that was approved by California lawmakers to build new affordable houses has not been utilized because the case that was presented by a Sacramento attorney against the plan has not been heard for two years (Dillon, 2018). Therefore, the judiciary system has a role to play in the push to reduce homelessness in the state. The judiciary determines the formulation and implementation of various policies, including housing. 

The Department of Housing and Community Development in California is the major state agency that is tasked with the responsibility of formulating and implementing various housing policies. The agency has come up with various policies and programs that are intended to reduce homelessness in the state. It is implementing different homeless programs like Emergency Solution Grant Plan, No Place Like Home, and Homeless Youth Multifamily Housing Program. The agency plays an integral role in addressing homelessness in California. 

Other Stakeholders 

Many interest groups are determined to ensure that the government addresses the plight of homeless people. One of the major interest group in housing policy is Housing California whose main primary objective is to ensure the rights and freedoms of homeless people are protected. The group is determined to ensure that every person living in California has a place they can call home. Housing California is likely to have a lot of interest in the policy. Another interest group is the Alliance or California Alliance to Protect Private Property Rights (CAPPPP) that is dedicated to protecting private properties, especially from unwilling sellers. The group is likely to resist the attempt by the government to turn private property to public property. The interest groups have a significant influence in policy housing policy formulation and implementation. 

Political parties also have a lot of influence on policy formulation and implementations, mainly if it affects a large number of people. The rivalry is likely to emerge between Democrats and Republicans when the public and lawmakers are debating the policy. There is a perception that the problem of homelessness in California was caused by Democrats, especially concerning their incarceration policy of reducing the number of inmates in jails and prisons in the country, resulting in many homeless people (Grimes, 2018). Also, the media has a lot of interests in the policy because homelessness is a sensational issue that attracts a lot of attention. The media will scrutinize the formulation and implementation of the policy. Many external players are interested in the policy. 

Options 

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) 

PSH is a program that has been used to address the problem of housing for many years since the 1980s when the problem of homelessness started to emerge. It is one of the interventions that are aimed at addressing long-term homelessness. The intervention involves the provision of affordable houses to homeless people while at the same time providing health care and supportive services to improve their well-being (Henwood et al ., 2013). Its primary objective is people who are homeless, including people who have high risks of becoming homeless. The intervention has been implemented successfully in many countries, including various states in the USA. 

Many state and national governments prefer PSH because of its many advantages. The advantage of PSH is its ability to address other human needs apart from the housing (Henwood et al ., 2013). For example, it can be used to address mental problems and other physical needs of homeless people. It has a lot of positive physical and health outcomes when it is used to settle homeless people. PSH is also cost-effective, especially when compared to transitional housing procedures that have been used for many years in the country. Also, PSH has some social benefits to the society at large such as reduced arrests and a decline in the number of prisoners. The main disadvantage of PSH is that it can be costly in short-term, especially when there is a need to construct new houses. It has high initial investment. 

Housing First 

Housing First is another alternative that the state can explore to address the problem of homelessness. The program was developed in the 1990s by Dr. Sam Tsemberis of Columbia University (Carson, 2016). The program is based on the harm reduction approach, especially concerning reducing the personal health problems of the target population. Therefore, homeless people who are settled are attached to health professionals who take care of them until they fully recover. They also have close interaction with social workers. The program is advantageous because it addresses the health needs of homeless people. Besides, it ensures that homeless people can freely interact and integrate with other members of the community. Besides, it has a high retention rate (Carson, 2016). Nevertheless, its main disadvantage is that it is time-consuming and cannot provide an immediate solution to the problem of housing. It can also lead to criminal issues in a community because it allows homeless people to live with relatives and friends. 

The Linear Approach 

The linear approach has been used since the 1980s, and it is still being utilized in some states. It is based on the notion that homeless people must progress through various stages before they are permanently settled (Williams, 2017). Homeless people are provided with short-term shelters, and then they graduate to permanent houses. The linear approach is advantageous because it ensures a high retention rate after permanents settlement. However, it has many disadvantages such as the lack of support services, bureaucratic, and high cost. Thus, it is mainly used by the national government to offer voucher housing to the homeless. 

Recommendation 

The best option that the state should implement is Housing First mainly because its effectiveness has been proven at the state and national level. Providing subsidized houses to homeless people is a sustainable solution to the problem of homelessness. To enhance the retention rate, homeless people need to access health care and support services, which are provided for under the Housing First Program (Dickson-Gomez et al ., 2017). The program is also useful because it allows homeless people to have close interaction in the community, resulting in reduced stigmatization and increased bonding. Besides, the policy is cost-effective because it provides a permanent solution. California has not been able to address the problems of homelessness because it relied on the linear approach, which is a temporary solution to a severe problem. Homeless people are likely to resist temporary houses, mainly when other human needs such as health and moral support are not provided. The policy had been implemented in other states such as New York successfully. Housing First is a long-term and sustainable solution to homelessness. 

References 

Carson, J. E. (2016). Advantages of housing first rehousing strategy for the chronically homeless . Retrieved from https://repository.wlu.edu/bitstream/handle/11021/33383/RG38_CarsonJ_Poverty_2016_A.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 

Dickson-Gomez, J., Quinn, K., Bendixen, A., Johnson, A., Nowicki, K., Ko Ko, T., & Galletly, C. (2017). Identifying variability in permanent supportive housing: A comparative effectiveness approach to measuring health outcomes. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry , 87 (4), 414. 

Dillon, L. (2018, March 25). Billions of dollars to help California's homeless population are piling up — and going unspent. Los Angeles Times . Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-slow-homelessness-spending-20180325- story.html 

Grimes, K. (2018, June 3). California Dem Politicians Caused Homeless Crisis, Abetted by the Media. Canada Free Press. Retrieved from https://canadafreepress.com/article/california-dem-politicians-caused-homeless-crisis-abetted-by-the-media 

Henwood, B. F., Cabassa, L. J., Craig, C. M., & Padgett, D. K. (2013). Permanent supportive housing: addressing homelessness and health disparities? American journal of public health , 103 (2), 188-192. 

Medina, J. (2017, December 21). California Today: State’s Homeless Population Drives National Increase. The New York Times . Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/us/california-today- states-homeless-population- drives-national-increase.html 

Williams, J. (2017). The politics of homelessness: Shelter now and political protest. Political Research Quarterly, 58(3), 497-509. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3595618 

Wright, J. (2017). Address unknown: The homeless in America . Routledge.