Despite voluminous facts to the contrary, the conventional wisdom still holds that homelessness is a choice. The popular view is that people choose homelessness to avoid the burdens of rent, car payments and honest work in favor of drugs, sloth and moral turpitude. No one has suggested that work itself might be part of the problem, but a growing list of facts about wages and homelessness suggest work may be a major factor in California’s intractable homeless problems.
Imagine, for example, a California county where “Over half the county’s population struggles to make ends meet” and where the majority of these people, “are struggling families with at least one adult in the family working.” It’s a county where “only 13% of the jobs…can be categorized as ‘good jobs,’ an additional 22% can be categorized as ‘promising’ and the remaining 65% of jobs, or approximately 124,000 positions, fail to meet standards for ensuring worker self-sufficiency.”
The county in question has a population of 584,404 people. If over half that population “struggles to makes ends meet,” that means nearly 300,000 people are a major medical bill or car repair away from economic crisis.
In 2020, this San Joaquin Valley county brought in nearly $3.5 billion in gross agriculture production, despite years of drought, a pandemic, and problems with shipping. County supervisors lauded farmworkers for their part in the region’s economic success, but farmworkers’ pay in the Valley averages $20.49 per hour, far below the $27 an hour needed for a “living wage.”
The county we’re referring to here is Stanislaus County, but in terms of lagging incomes it could be most any county in California, where costs of living have outstripped wages for a growing proportion of residents. In San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties, an annual salary of $104,000 is considered low income.
For far too many California residents, the American dream of owning one’s own home has turned into a nightmare of unaffordable rents, car camping, and couch surfing, even while having a full-time job.
Marion Kaanon, Chief Executive Officer for the Stanislaus Community Foundation, said in March of 2022 that, “only one third of the county’s jobs provide pathways to prosperity, showing a severe gap in good and promising jobs that are available to enable the workforce to achieve self-sufficiency.”
Those who believe the gap between incomes and costs isn’t enough to explain homelessness should also reckon with California’s housing shortage. There are plenty of glaring statistics, but the one most connected to jobs covers the ten-year span “from 2010 to 2020 when the state permitted (not built—just permitted) one home for every 2.54 jobs it added.”
In short, California is an underpaid job-rich and housing-poor state, and for anyone with even a casual acquaintance with the state’s hard housing facts, homelessness is a predictable outcome. As far back as the year 2000, “California’s Department of Housing and Community Development estimated that the state would need to build 220,000 additional units each year for two decades to meet the needs of what was then still a growing population.” That goal was clearly delusional. Last year, during a building flurry spurred on by Governor Gavin Newsom’s enthusiastic support for new housing, the state fell nearly 100,000 units below that mark.
Contrary to the conventional wisdom, homelessness in California isn’t a matter of bad choices, lazy citizens or immoral lifestyles. Instead, it’s the inevitable result of rising costs of living and housing shortages. The real puzzle is why leaders throughout the state continue to blame the homeless victims of these hard facts for circumstances far beyond their control. Blaming the homeless for homelessness may be the most glaring failure of leadership in a state where failed leadership has become a persistent norm, from the governor on down.
Good article. I can testify to the truth of these words; I am currently preparing for the 4th year of my Sleeping Bag Faith Mission, bringing sleeping bags and winter items to those without a home. I take time and talk to those who want to talk awhile. So I hear a lot of personal stories. This article speaks truth about the California housing shortage; those folks working and yet can’t get into any housing, or receive Medicare from working in the past; and still have to make shelter from big boxes, tents, etc. I go to 4 counties, and see and hear similar stories. The majority of unhoused people very much do not want to be out on the streets; they do not feel safe, are freezing, or very hot, sick, feel abandoned, and just plain suffering.
The Director of WeCare in Turlock would disagree with some of your comments. She says that at least 80% of the homeless men she deals with at WeCare’s shelter and Day Center have mental health/addiction problems. If what you say “the majoring of unhoused people very much do not want to be out on the streets” then why do the vast majority of them REFUSE help and services when it is offered by the CARE teams, etc?
If as you say the majority are “very hot” then why don’t we see them at the Cooling Centers?
Are there some who are on the street due to unfortunate circumstances — yes. I myself was close to being one of those. But many more there are addicts and refuse help, in the process destroying their lives and the quality of life of the community.
Okay Ron let me elaborate for you there’s different types of homelessnes most alone men on the streets me and my family see because we’re homeless do have health and addiction issues that’s why when you see them on the street there blurting out nonsense usually it’s from having touretts and no health care to afford meds so they self medicate which causes them to not think clearly and refuse help same goes for most alone went on the streets and then there’s a family with children like myself I have a full time job I work overtime everyday and it’s still not enough to keep lights on or rent paid and the governor of California seems to think helping registered child sex offenders get a fully furnished apartment without even having a job before helping a family who doesn’t want to have any part of the messed up system but busts their ass for scraps and sleeps on the floor of an office filled with other families in the same situation because that’s where they’re priorities lay child molesters get housing before a child let that sink in they give child molesters rooms, apartments, twice as many resources and they don’t have to do anything but live off the government tell me again that homelessness is all the homeless fault.
Ron Bridegroom,
You have many Valley Citizens at a disadvantage. We have no idea what all the services are that are offered at, or, are gated out to other agencies, from within, WeCare in Turlock. Thus, we know not what you say is being refused. Plus, having not spoken personally with those allegedly refusing, we know not under what circumstances they may be refusing.
It is entirely unfair to spread such bias without firsthand knowledge and without those you are asserting such bias exercising a right to rebuttal. Things are seldom so simple as they appear to be nor so matter of fact. My hunch is that if any refusing is going on there are less than obvious reasons.
You apparently want us to think as you do,
about only one (1) particular grouping of men, you describe based on hearsay, but you offer us little else to go by.
It is obvious you have what some would describe as “an axe to grind” about the group of men you isolate out to describe, yet it is obvious, you like too many others, seem to refuse to look at the entirety of the problem that has been conveniently swept under the title: “homelessness.”
I recognize that title, alone, very quickly brings the worst out in too many arm chair onlookers. It is because too many people, as yourself, throw out miniscule tidbits of hearsay that serve to confuse and confound.
If there is one “axe that I want to grind” it is that far too many Directors who claim to Care, are guilty of giving, any listening ear, a piece of their own personal bias. Either, Directors of homeless services Care enough to give out a more Caring explanation for the stats they push, or, they get out of the business all together.
I have been in the room, when, far too often, these so called Spokespersons, have done nothing but demoralize the public about the people they collect a paycheck to Care for. These Gatekeepers have their own “axe to grind” and the circle gets vicious. And the venom gets more deadly if you get them alone to reach in toward an ear to gossip. How dare they do such?
It does not take much of that to poison the well others draw from.
We, inclusive of all, who want to see a Caring solution to Homelessness, have to bridle our tongues starting with our very own thoughts, especially if biased. An answer when mild can turn away rage. Think about applying that Bible verse under that circumstance, as well as the many that caution against spreading gossip. It taints the entire pool There is much to be said about being positive, uplifting, and, let us not forget encouragagement.
The term Homeless elicits such a knee jerk bitter thought in minds, it is not in any way conducive to finding a way out for human beings caught up in a hell on earth.
Yes, it matters whether or not the hell is self-induced, but not ultimately.
Drugs, including, alcohol, are always symptomatic of something else. Some type of lingering childhood complex trauma, or, post traumatic trauma that typically confronts the brain with a fight or flight knee jerk reaction, and a resistance to face and/or work through the pains.
Hence, tendency to self medicate to avoid, to take flight. And, what is rarely talked of is that some people are born with an addiction trigger. It would take too long to detail what that is.
Suffice it to say that some people better never take a first drink of alcohol, or the trigger fires within those people. It is as though they are born alcoholics, but do not know it, until it is too late. I have long been an advocate for testing all people to identify those susceptible. In the hopes that being forewarned would stem the tide.
We do not live in a preventitive society. We could make the paradigm switch, yet, society seems more caught up in ridiculing and gossip than preventing as much as possible of what ails us. Even, I.
Science, should never replace God. Science has learned that even certain foods trigger mental illnesses and keep them stoked. There are many actions we could proactively take to improve the lives of many. But it is in the interests of the minority to not act to prevent.
We would be coming up against multiple Industrial Complex entities obviously wanting to bury these findings from society as a whole. We do currently have nearly invisible a war going on all around us.
The truth is out there, and more truth being found daily, yet, too many of us are busy minding our own business and telling others to mind theirs than to be curious about discovering ways to solution(s).
Their are pilot programs scattered all around that have made tremendous headways into right Caring for those hurting with certain problems, yet, unless searching for such solutions, and, getting the word out, to educate society about such, those with the will to conceal, manage to keep finding ways to block funding for such endeavors.
There are people who do what they know to do to caution society about many funding sources lacking the proper appetite to help support these pilot programs that could do immediate good for many. Even Philanthropy rubs shoulders with people who have less than scrupulous agendas for raising the cash they fondle and desire to keep near and dear, over, spending resources to alleviate suffering.
All I spoke here has been meticulously written in various books, to support my comments. All any one has to do is put in the time to do research. As for not being one who reads much, I made it a matter of prayer decades ago that I be fond of reading. My prayer is answered. Prior, I would get drowsy 10-15 minutes after embarking on any reading journey.
After prayer, I am a voracious reader, just as I asked to be. Praise, Almighty God who warns us, “You have not because you ask not.”
How many of us pray for solutions for the Homeless? How many pray for our local, state, federal government? How many of us pray then get vocal and become change agents? Start praying.
Definitely agree with you 1000% and thank you for caring about the HOUSELESS PEOPLE , praise God for you and no wonder why the homeless people don’t trust people like that we care people and the care outreach people do not care about no one but theirselfs and and we definitely definitely need to get this started right away for the HOUSELESS PEOPLE all ,my daughter and I were houseless for over 10 years and we are definitely not drug addicts nor alcoholic at all. the county of STANISLAUS do not give a crap about the HOUSELESS PEOPLE at all .other agency that don’t give a crap about the homeless people at all I know my daughter and I were homeless pretend over 10 years and no one helped us until it near the end and outside places
Do u ever come to Fresno? Ur help is much needed here. We can use ur assistance. We hardly get any help
Finally facts that are real.
Thank God somebody is paying attention. I am not homeless; however, for the past twenty years I have been only one disaster away from becoming homeless, including foreclosures..(5)times now….don’t really know how much longer I can hang in there….homeless keeps hanging on the edge of my reality…..such a sad existence.
If homelessness is such a choice then why doesn’t everybody go and take a 3-month leave or 6 months leave being homeless go through what we go through on a day to day see if you can do it and you want to talk about foreclosure five times wow that’s your own fault just like you tell us it’s our own fault we’re on the streets that we’re homeless and not every single one of us is a druggie or an alcoholic you know some of us hard-working people got laid off like I did and everything went downhill from there been on the streets for 7 years now if not longer people come and say they’re going to help charities come today that help they give you promises of things that they can’t provide so before anybody else has anything else to say about homelessness why don’t you take a 3 month leave and go be homeless for 3 months to 6 months and see how it is see if you can hack it doubt you can it’s harder living on the streets than it is living in the home going to sleep with no door to lock while you sleep anybody and anyone can come and do what they want try and sleep and besafe like that and there’s not always shelter that people can go and say it in their towns all I got to say is all the hype and b******* about homelessness you people the problem you take everything for granted everything as simple as a door handle with a lock
Did you see the job layoff coming? Did you prepare yourself for other job opportunities by learning new marketable job skills? Did you get help from the county through Work Force Development or through the Adult Schools?
It does seem that many of the so-called non-profits make promises that they do not keep. I personally am trying to hold them accountable
Foreclosed 5 times. Wow. It sounds like you are abusing the system.
The housing issue has been discussed for decades. I remember discussing this with my brother who was on a multi county board looking into the future of the Valley and the issues we would face and this was near the end of the last century. The Silicon Valley boom has had many very, very negative impacts on the Central Valley, including housing costs, housing shortage and air pollution. Not to mention many “transplants” who now live here but do not share the same “values” as farmers and an ag based economy since they have no roots in our area nor in ag. A lot of money went to Sacramento from Silicon Valley but very little of that has come to the Central Valley to help us with the negative impacts the Silicon Valley boom has had on us
Good article and discussions. Everyone has some data that is useful. Recently, there were a few articles about how much the State has spent on homelessness over the past 4 years: $17.5 Billion- then a review of this suggests that this amount of $ could have paid the rent for all homeless people over that time- where did that money go, because the homeless population is growing- but we know where that money went, don’t we. the issue of wages not being enough- another good question- let’s see if we raise the wages for farmworkers by $10.00 per hour, the cost of food jumps about 30%, then that living wage goes higher and the cycle continues to rise…… however, if you compare what the average farm worker makes vs. what they would make in their home country, it isn’t hard to realize why they are here. Here’s a wild idea- given the issue of the pandemic driving office workers to work from home- there is a rumor that a lot of office buildings are vacant- hmm, if the state would spend some of that $17 Billion to renovate office buildings to small apartments and put some homeless folks in them, hmm…sorry, logic has kicked in- that won’t work….
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DEAR ERIC CAINE,
Although there is nothing humourous about the plight of the houseless, I hope people will forgive me that I found a bit of levity from your two (2) political natured photos, replete with satirical commentary underneath, each. They do speak volumes. Modesto, CA, and Stan Co. have reached extreme inner and outer edges, similar to 3rd World shanty towns.
Has it not?
Living on the fringe is truly not supposed to set well with those it is imposed on. Yet, for some, being able to carve out a small area, one can call their own, hassle free, may feel as close to home as one or a few, can possibly prospect for themselves.
To earn rent, Modesto, CA, could provide little homesteads like those, to ALLOW freedom to live safely. Although, the next thing apt to happen would be the city or county would send out building code inspectors to snoop out how well the domicile was constructed.
To think, back in the day, people had little choice but to fend for themselves. People in 3rd World countries are forced to live in ways that Modesto and Stanislaus Co. would bulldoze in a minute, at the expense of life and limb. Rest in peace!
The global, federal, state, county and city governments, seem content to further disassemble our living quality and means of income, right in front of our eyes, with manufactured plausible deniability. And they refuse to make other allowances, when the going (they are responsible for) gets tough. Their plans are still moving right along, but others’ lives are crumbling by the wayside, while all accountability is shifted onto the sufferers’ shoulders as burdensome as it can get.
The legacy of the haves and the robbery of the have nots plays out through time.
Does it not?
They know how to wrench pennies away from dead mens’ hands, with out even so much as a twinge of conscience or a blush. They want MaCog to cough up the cash to supervise safe ground that they would not need, if they took care of all business to prevent a Houseless economy.
Thank you, Eric, for all you do. You are appreciated much…
I can’t understand why everyone is wanting a handout! There are jobs available make an effort to better yourself, it has to start within. Times are tuff for everyone I work hard to keep a roof over my head and people want free land to live on. Take some responsibility for yourself and stop waiting for the city or county to help.