The results of the biennial Orange County Point in Time count are in. It was a groundbreaking effort by the County of Orange, CityNet, 211 OC, as well as service providers, law enforcement and more than 1,000 volunteers using an electronic mapping system. We now have a significantly better handle than ever on how many of our neighbors are homeless and where they are.
COUNT TOTALS
6,860 people are without a home in Orange County
311
Veterans271
Transitional Aged Youth677
Seniors466
Familiesand 966 children)
2,899 were in an emergency or transitional shelter and 3,961 were unsheltered
For the 3,961 who were unsheltered:
52% were chronically homeless
73% had their last known address in Orange County
72% worked or currently work in OC
52% have family in OC
This is why we brought local leaders together last year to form United to End Homelessness so that we, as a community, can work together to enact long-term, proven solutions.
We will continue to help educate the community and build support for ending homelessness in Orange County. We will expand the WelcomeHomeOC program for apartment owners to make rental units available to people experiencing homelessness. This new data will help the community coordinate the resources needed to bring customized services to those experiencing homelessness.
Now that we know how many of our neighbors are suffering from homelessness, it’s time to shift into high gear in our collective effort to end homelessness in Orange County.