HOMELESSNESS

What Was Measured?
The percent of the total population in 1994 who were counted and served by 16 service providers for the homeless in San Mateo County are shown.

During the summer of 1995, the San Mateo Human Service Agency collaborated with the Hunger and Homeless Action Coalition to collect data for the calendar year 1994.  Twenty-six county and private agencies were surveyed.  Of these, 16 agencies or 62 percent, were able to give information for each head of household such as social security number and birth date, thus ensuring no duplication of count.

Thus the measurement is a partial count of families and individuals seeking services.  Individuals and families who could not provide the data, did not seek services or were served only by agencies excluded from the study are not included.  The Hunger and Homeless Action Coalition estimates that the number of homeless served by the county's 10 other providers is approximately an additional 2,500 homeless individuals.

Why Is It Important?
Homelessness is an indicator of community stress.  Individuals or families become homeless for many reasons, including lack of affordable housing, lack of job opportunities, insufficient wages, substance abuse, mental or physical illness or a combination of these and other factors.

What Was Found?
The number of homeless households (including individuals, couples and families) served by the surveyed providers in the county totaled 2,432.  Approximately 41 percent of the reported homeless in the county were children. The households reporting

What Is The Trend?
Data regarding homelessness is difficult to obtain.  It requires cooperation from the homeless and provider agencies, as well as funds and staff for data collection. So far, the data available is insufficient to detect a trend.

Sources: San Mateo County Homeless Needs Assessment, December 1995; Population for 1994 (686,078) is from the CA State Dept. of Finance, Demographic Research Unit.

Researcher: Marcia Pagels

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