Homelessness in California
Introduction
People living in a temporary location, places that are not favorable for human habitation, shelter places are considered homeless by the housing departments of human development. The homeless communities directly impact the nation, regional location, and local levels. California has around 113,952 homeless people, which 20% representation of homeless individuals in the United States. However, it is not a surprise that California is the largest state in the United States, which has the biggest community of homelessness. It is only possible because about 1 in 9 Americans resides from California, and roughly 1 in 4 people from the same state are homeless.
A description of the current policy approach for addressing the social issue you selected.
It is equally a magical event to find an affordable apartment to live in California. Such an incident is possible because the housing stock is thin, making it hard for cities to build more to be in a position to meet the high demand. In response to this crisis, governmental leaders of southern California are pursuing inventive methods that can easily give rise to affordable houses for all the residence. Some of the immediate solutions from this policy include emptying shipping containers, for they are potential temporary homes before building permanent apartments. Such containers have a potential mechanism of addressing all the crucial and unmet need for houses in southern California.
Several cities and states are now passing the laws that make housing more affordable to deal with homelessness issues in the past years through different approaches. The two trends that have emerged through the housing policy is tinkering and simplifying approach. Tinkering, as a legislative measure, strive to come up with more housing for specific places where there are higher needs for the house. States such as California use the tinkering approach since it targets some particular areas in California cities where there is a need for up-zoning to give room for more height and density in these locations.
A description of the current policy goals for addressing the social issue you selected.
The policy’s goal is to ensure that every individual in California is in a position to access affordable, sustainable, and healthy houses in any neighborhood of their choice. Housing policy also advocates for a healthier and more transparent, enforceable anti-displacement protection and work to offer protection to all the tenants from inappropriate eviction and landlord abuse. It also that everyone has access to a fair rental agreement, a requirement of a good reason for eviction, the increment of procedural protections for all the tenants, especially those facing eviction, and elimination of incentives for the investor speculation.
In addition to the goals of hosing policy includes combating discrimination in housing, whereby some individuals are getting access to housing structures where others get easy access. They also focus on coming up with ways through which unhoused individuals get access to support agencies and resources they need the most to obtain and maintain housing. The housing policies also work towards ending unfair policies that lead to the criminalization of unhoused people.
It also works on preserving the already existing housing stock through the following ways; by stopping older sponsored units from being transformed into market-rate units. Advocating for governmental subsidies that give rise to more affordable housing operators by reducing rents, maintaining high-quality housing in the process, and establishing laws that make sure rental units and neighborhoods are healthy and habitable. Therefore, it is clear that the housing policy is striving to involve the government of California in reducing the higher number of homelessness.
Lastly, housing policies encourage equitable planning and development by eliminating local decisions that deny affordable housing projects by urging the private sectors to develop and come up with affordable units for everyone, especially people who are earning extremely low-income. The policy also strives to come up with more opportunities for community members that give people rights to ownership and control over their lands and housing, hence the proper usage of public goods. And lastly, demolishing structural racism in land usage and planning.
A description of the population the current policy approach covers.
Homelessness is such an important topic since we know about the severe trauma that comes with it, both to children and youth. Being homeless disrupts a family’s relationship, puts the victim’s lives at risk, and hampers their development. Children without a place to call home are more likely to experience hunger and malnutrition than those who have a home and parents to take care of them. These children are at higher risk of developing physical health problems as well as mental health problems. In addition to the consequence of homelessness, it brings about emotional distress, development delays, and reduction of academic achievement.
The factors that render a person homeless include deep poverty, unstable families, and children’s exposure to domestic violence who later prefer to run away from their homes to avoid witnessing violence. Such factors make these people more vulnerable following the traumatizing experiences. Children and youths who decide to seek refuge from different parties are exposed to risk situations that make them more vulnerable; these risky situations are sexual exploitation. Homeless youths are more likely to be infected with HIV from their peers and other serious health issues. Research shows that around 2015-2016, more than 1.3 million children in the United States who were in public schools were homeless, having California accounting for around one-fifth of these homeless children.
Factors that can quickly reduce homelessness include providing around 34% employment to the population, subsidizing rent, providing counseling for the drug addicts, and providing mental services. By so doing, we will have dealt with homelessness’s primary causes: an increase in drug abuse, mental health illness, increased usage of alcohol, and unemployment. Creating policies such as the housing policy help advocate for the homeless and strive to provide places to live for; it is one of the most basic human beings’ needs.
An explanation of the funding levels for the current policy approach and whether they are sufficient to address the issue.
The high housing cost is proving to be the number one threat to California’s future. It is why most of the California residents are facing the challenges of homelessness, which is not surprising because California has the second-largest rates of homelessness. Research indicates that around 31% of the population can only afford median-priced homes, where around 25% live under the lower average, thus making it California the leading poverty-rated state. Thus, the government and state legislation have taken various steps to ensure spur housing production, thus addressing homelessness issues.
The 2019–20 state financial plan incorporates $1 billion to address homelessness, a substantial $1.75 billion investment in new housing, and incentives for urban communities to allow new home development. The lead representative marked 18 bills in 2019 intended to help kick off housing creation, including significant enactment (SB 330) pointed toward eliminating neighborhood boundaries to lodging development and accelerating new turn of events; he likewise marked a statewide lease control measure. Simultaneously, a few neighborhood locales have significantly extended subsidizing for affordable houses. Thus, making it possible to avoid homelessness through administrative measures. It goes further to reduce rental charges from the landlords concerning the people living in their houses.
It is not as easy to quickly fix homelessness in California, for it has been an issue decades ago. Therefore, the state needs to strategize on the efforts of improving housing affordability, adding the supply of houses, and raising the issue through the interaction of various local policies. It states that it is essential to incorporate both the state and local stakeholders to acquire an effective strategy for reducing homelessness. In our case, it is sufficient to address the issue since it is essential.
California’s tight housing market reflects a shortage of developable land as well as a variety of strategic decisions. Changes to drafting and other administrative strategies are expected to help end the expense of building houses. Traditionally, these approaches have been made at the nearby level. However, the state has as of late instituted changes, such as smoothing out the development of accessory staying units (ADUs)— that override neighborhood rules or potentially spur nearby approach changes and solve the affordable housing crisis locally and having a state control.
Lastly, it will be more efficient if land-usage policies incorporate incentives for more houses in the process of meeting the end goals. California has passed legislative roles that plan to bring down harmful discharges through emission by coordinating new housing advancement with transportation networks at the nearby level. Infill (new development in developed regions) is one approach to accomplish this objective. Yet, there is a tradeoff: infill advancement will, in general, be more costly, somewhat because of neighborhood resistance, and for the most part, creates fewer units than \advancement at the edges of urbanized territories. From the discussion, it is clear that California’s state is dedicated to improving public policies through various independent objectives that support the betterment of society.
An explanation of how this policy may affect at-risk, marginalized, underrepresented, overlooked, or oppressed populations. Identify a specific at-risk population.
To discover the direct impacts of housing policy on the family isn’t simple, especially when, as in the United States, severe frailty, nonattendance of fundamental administrations, and extreme congestion is unprecedented. American housing strategy, reacting to American families’ flavors, has stressed the financing, building, possession, and insurance of the single-family house overwhelmingly, ideally unattached. When we reflect on the social attributes of American families, this housing additionally reinforces these inclinations. While criticized for preferring the wealthy, government strategies make single-family housing accessible to middle-salary groups and maybe underneath. The poor’s projects are mounted on a moderately little scope and are dependent upon serious analysis. Arrangements are likewise scrutinized for neglecting to give social heterogeneity and a delightful example of network development. To move in these ways includes costs, American families don’t appear to embrace.
The at-risk population is the children’s and youth’s population, which faces various challenges that can easily be ignored. As much as these individuals face adverse challenges, California’s housing policy may not break down the challenges and offer a solution. Providing houses and homes to this group of individuals is not enough, for it does not heal them from mental illness, physical diseases, or depression. Such issues are serious yet underrepresented since the policy is only focusing on providing houses where these individuals can shelter and acquire some other basic needs.
An analysis of whether or not the policy meets the needs of the population groups most affected by the policy.
The housing policy is relatively significant to California in three ways, education, health, and economic activities. By reducing involuntary residence movement regardless of whether eviction, failure to make a rental payment, or inability to pay the rent or unwanted everyday environments ultimately, admittance to moderate housing can deliver significant advantages for occupants as improved school performance and wellbeing. The advancement of reasonable housing can help nearby financial movement through impermanent development related work and continuous purchaser buy driven positions in the neighborhood economy. Admittance to reasonable lodging improves a business’s capacity to draw in and hold workers and stay serious worldwide. Having reduced social service costs provides healthy and friendly social services, thus reducing the cycle of poverty.
Recommendation for alternative policies that would address the gaps identified in the policy. Please be specific in recommendations.
From the discussion above, we realize that not much attention is given to the youths and children to face homelessness’s direct consequences. Homeless children develop mental health complications, sexual assault, physical health illness, drug addiction, and depression. Apart from providing houses to live in, there is a need to develop policies that deal with the direct impacts of homelessness. These individuals need to realize that they can get help and get back to being productive children like any other.
These policies can be health policies, whereby the government and health facilities join hands in providing health services for these victims. The services could be physical health services, mental health, and therapy sessions for children with depression. By so doing, California will permanently reduce the cases of homelessness because these people will get back to school and acquire skills that will later better their lives and the state in general.