• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Nature, Environment, History & Politics

The Valley Citizen

  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About
  • RSS Icon

Edging toward homelessness: “A human catastrophe of historic dimensions…”

May 30, 2019 By Eric Caine 6 Comments

Home that is burned out and boarded up
Burned out and boarded up

In a sweeping survey of housing needs in the San Joaquin Valley, the California Housing Partnership and the California Coalition for Rural Housing have concluded that the Valley needs 137,254 more affordable homes. Among the most troubling findings was that many hard-working Valley citizens live on the edge of homelessness because housing costs consume up to 70% of their incomes. Minimum wage earners are especially burdened.

Of the eight Valley counties surveyed, the two northernmost, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties, had the most burdensome housing costs for low-income residents, most likely because of demand from Bay Area commuters fleeing stratospheric rents and mortgages near their places of employment.

In San Joaquin County, rental costs require incomes 2.5 times minimum wage; the same costs are 2.1 times minimum wages in Stanislaus County. Farther south, in Kern and Madera Counties, workers must earn 1.5 times minimum wage to meet current average rents.

One of the major reasons for housing shortfalls in California is the loss of federal and state funding for affordable housing. Stanislaus County alone has lost more than $17 million annually since 2008; San Joaquin County lost more than $16 million a year, and other Valley counties have suffered similar fates.

Sign:  Budgetel Inn and Suites, Modesto
Condemned motel, Modesto

Current budget proposals from the Trump administration are likely to make things even worse for low-income workers already at risk of homelessness. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,

“President Trump’s fiscal year 2019 budget proposes the most radical retrenchment of federal aid for such families since the U.S. Housing Act was first enacted in 1937. The Trump budget would slash aid that helps millions of low-income working families with children, seniors, and others afford decent, stable homes.” 

These Trump budget cuts for affordable housing are coming when homeless numbers are escalating rapidly throughout the state, especially in the San Joaquin Valley. Many low wage earners are one auto repair or health care cost away from insolvency.

Matt Schwarz, President and CEO of the California Housing Partnership, said after viewing these most recent findings,

“These reports make clear that the housing crisis is bigger than any single community and no matter how hard local governments and their citizens work to address the crisis they need help from the State and Federal governments.” 

California Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged more funding for affordable housing and other remedies for homelessness, but state funding alone is unlikely to be enough.

Camp along Stanislaus River
Camp along Stanislaus River

Meanwhile, homeless people are camping along our rivers, in our parks, behind our businesses and homes, and along our freeways. The costs in commercial and residential values are tremendous; the social and humanitarian costs even higher.

Rob Wiener, Executive Director for the California Coalition for Rural Housing, called the housing crisis a “human catastrophe,”

“In California, including in the San Joaquin Valley, we have to move beyond the usual platitudes about having an affordable housing crisis.  It is more than that. It is a human catastrophe of historic dimensions. It is not normal to have tens of thousands of our neighbors living ‘on the street’ every day.  It is not normal to have many more who are on the edge of homelessness. It is not normal to live in overcrowded dilapidated homes and to pay 50%, 60%, 70% of income and more for our housing…We must mobilize now with the political will and resources to significantly ameliorate the problem or California’s future will be in serious jeopardy.”

Woman sleeping on sidewalk, and dog
On our sidewalks

The latest study shows Stanislaus County alone needs 15,142 more rental homes. In the meantime, many low-income Valley residents live in sub-standard, hazardous and unhealthy homes, trailers, and motels that escape condemnation only because our cities and counties lack the staff and political will to enforce minimum standards. And whenever such places are condemned, the inevitable result is more people on our streets and sidewalks.

Even with emergency funding, it will take years to catch up on the housing shortfalls. Meanwhile, more people are seeking shelter from a punishing storm of rising costs, stagnant incomes, and growing holes in the nation’s social safety net. It is an emergency of epic proportion and it’s getting worse every day.

 

 

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Affordable housing California, Homelessness and Poverty in Stanislaus County, Homelessness in Modesto, Homelessness in the San Joaquin Valley

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LaurallaneMoskowitz says

    May 31, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    I was one who gave heR and there. Feed people on and off. Donated toiletries and socks coats,. I did what I try thought was good to do and I went on with my life.
    Until on April11 my brother sitting with a group of homeless folks in an empty parking lot was hit run over, backed back over on and then dragged down the lot. Then the drunk driver offered folks a beer. Now I see homeless and the whole story reasons, fixed, it wont be an easy fix. But it sure does need to be fixed. It see,a daily there are more and more sick old and mentally ill folks on the streets. They are NOT all druggies. I am going to find some homeless group that needs a new volunteer. We all need to step up. Cause it only going to get worse. So many empty building all over too. Sad.

    Reply
  2. Damon Woods says

    May 31, 2019 at 4:30 pm

    It seems to me that this country should concentrate more on helping the homeless than trying to allow thousands from other countries to come in and get free stuff. Let’s take care of our own before we take care of the new folks needing help….

    Reply
  3. Craig Lancaster says

    May 31, 2019 at 6:40 pm

    The illegals are being pushed out of subsidized housing (yeah, there are a lot of them) making room for Americans who need it.

    Reply
  4. S. Hansen says

    May 31, 2019 at 10:47 pm

    You think the homeless problem is bad now, just wait until this economy crashes in the next year or so…

    Reply
  5. Ken hansen says

    June 1, 2019 at 9:03 am

    What do you expect? It goes with the territory and dates back to the 1849 gold rush and great depression of the 1930’s. Calif has always been a magnet attracting the world’s have-nots looking for easy pickings, and our liberal politicians accomodate them and feed off their votes. Go figure…we cut off our nose to spite our face.

    Reply
  6. Richard Anderson says

    June 2, 2019 at 9:42 pm

    In the discussion after the 2018 MJC showing of the “Homeless in Modesto” documentary, someone asked, Why doesn’t the City do something to make more low-cost housing get built? The answer from one of the City Council members, in the audience, was that the developers want to maximize their profit, and they make more with big expensive houses. And because of that, they can’t do anything.
    I believe that if a lot of Citizen input and pressure were put on the councilpeople, they could actually do A LOT by altering zoning designations; requiring much more low cost housing in Development Agreements; and other incentives if they think hard.
    They need to hear from Residents that they should do something!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to S. Hansen Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

Water wars in a drying California: New money vs. old power in San Joaquin Valley
Water wars in a drying California: New money vs. old power in San Joaquin Valley
www.mercurynews.com
History of DDT ocean dumping off L.A. coast even worse than expected, EPA finds
History of DDT ocean dumping off L.A. coast even worse than expected, EPA finds
Barrels of DDT waste, along with other chemicals, were likely poured directly into the ocean near Catalina Island, according to federal regulators.
www.latimes.com
The Tiny Bird Ruining East Coast Beach Vacations
The Tiny Bird Ruining East Coast Beach Vacations
Meet the piping plover, an adorable little bird whose tenuous existence shuts down roads and beaches right in the peak of summer.
www.thedailybeast.com
Will the last person to leave Phoenix please turn off the sun?
Will the last person to leave Phoenix please turn off the sun?
Asking when Phoenix will become uninhabitable means asking who has the resources to survive — and eventually, the rich might be the only ones left
www.salon.com
California drought official quits, blasting Newsom for 'gut wrenching' inaction
California drought official quits, blasting Newsom for ‘gut wrenching’ inaction
A state water board official has resigned, claiming the Newsom administration has “nearly eviscerated” the board’s ability to confront drought.
www.latimes.com
Seventy Never Looked So Good: The Long, Wondrous Life of Wisdom the Albatross
Seventy Never Looked So Good: The Long, Wondrous Life of Wisdom the Albatross
The Laysan Albatross is the oldest known wild bird on the planet, an international icon, and still hatching eggs. This year she had her 39th chick.
www.audubon.org
It?s Going to Take Several Miracles to Stop the Republican Party From Turning America Into Hungary
It’s Going to Take Several Miracles to Stop the Republican Party From Turning America Into Hungary
It’s probably already too late to save American democracy. Here is the series of improbable events doing so would require.
newrepublic.com

Myanmar: Military executes four democracy activists including ex-MP

Myanmar: Military executes four democracy activists including ex-MP
The executions mark the first cases of capital punishment in the country in decades.
www.bbc.com
GOPer Who Voted Against Marriage Equality Goes To Son's Gay Wedding Days Later
GOPer Who Voted Against Marriage Equality Goes To Son’s Gay Wedding Days Later
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This…
talkingpointsmemo.com
Trump’s silence on Jan. 6 is damning
Trump’s silence on Jan. 6 is damning
It’s up to the Justice Department to decide if this is a crime. But as a matter of principle, as a matter of character, Trump has proven himself unworthy to be this country’s chief executive …
nypost.com
Homeless people wait as Los Angeles lets thousands of federal housing vouchers go unused
Homeless people wait as Los Angeles lets thousands of federal housing vouchers go unused
Many of the 3,000 people and families in L.A. who have received the emergency vouchers remain in limbo.
www.latimes.com
Rio Grande runs dry in Albuquerque for the first time in 40 years
Rio Grande runs dry in Albuquerque for the first time in 40 years
The drying of the Rio Grande comes as the summer’s hotter and drier weather has fueled drought and fire throughout the West.
www.washingtonpost.com
Beauty of Power
Beauty of Power
In Review: Power in the Wild: The Subtle and Not-So-Subtle Ways Animals Strive for Control over Others
www.earthisland.org

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design