The number of homeless people in Orange County has jumped by 5% since 2013, according to the results of the biannual ‘Point in Time Count' previewed by the Commission to End Homelessness. This news should be a wakeup call for county officials, who have so far shirked their responsibility for funding and developing the permanent supportive housing and affordable housing that is needed to end homelessness. The ACLU SoCal strongly urges county officials to rethink their approach. Spending only 1-2% of the county’s discretionary funds on homeless services is shameful. The county must dedicate more of its expanding budget to solving the problem, instead of relying on inadequate and stagnant federal and state funds that don’t come close to providing the resources necessary to combat this rising tide of suffering and deprivation. Further, the Commission should release the detailed results of the count so that the public has the information needed to evaluate the county’s progress in implementing its 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness."
ACLU SoCal Issues Statement on Orange County’s Point In Time Count of Homeless Population
July 31, 2015
Please attribute the following statement on the release of Orange County’s Point in Time Count to Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California (ACLU SoCal).