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Homelessness Spikes Sharply In Orange County, According To Latest Count
An encampment in front of a Santa Ana courthouse.
(
Kirk Siegler
/
NPR
)
Topline:
Orange County’s unhoused population has jumped 28% total since the last count in 2022, according to details released by officials on Wednesday.
The details: The biennial point in time count, which took place in January, tallied 7,322 people experiencing homelessness in Orange County, more than half of whom were unsheltered.
Many of the unsheltered adults have ties to the area. More than half have family there, and nearly two thirds — or 1,538 people — currently work or have worked in the county.
Of the total, 869 unhoused people were 62 years or older, 328 were veterans, and 308 were transitional aged youth.
Why the increase: O.C. officials said in a summary that it's difficult to pinpoint why the unhoused population has grown, but safeguards like the county’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program and the eviction moratorium from the COVID era weren’t available this time around.
Why now: The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development requires point in time counts of people experiencing homelessness at least every other year.
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Go deeper: Read the results of the previous point in time count.
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