How the Bay Area Is Battling Homelessness
All 9 Counties Will Be Allocating A Combined $190M+ Towards Eradicating Urban Camping
Summary
Homelessness across the Bay Area is up 35% since 2019; leading to increased property crimes, small business closures, and outward migration.
To help address the issue, more than $190M in HUD grant funding is being allocated towards all nine Bay Area counties.
Additionally, a handful of cities are implementing criminal penalties and bans in an effort to eliminate urban camping.
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Since the pandemic, the population of those without shelter has grown 35% throughout the Bay Area. The rise in homelessness, property crimes, and theft has led to countless business closures and a wave of outward migration from the South, East, and San Francisco Bay Area Regions.
In an effort tackle these socio-economic issues, more than $190M in HUD (Housing and Urban Development) grant funds are being spread across all nine Bay Area counties - Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.
San Francisco County is set to receive the bulk load of the funding that’s headed towards the Bay Area; nearly $54M. San Francisco tops the charts as one of the most expensive counties to live in the Bay Area, with the least amount of housing per capita, and one of the highest rates of homelessness. Alameda County follows with $51.5M, and Santa Clara, Contra Costa, and San Mateo County are each expected to receive between $14M - $40M to help reduce homelessness.
Although every dollar makes a difference, housing advocates and non-profit organizations that are spearheading efforts towards eradicating homelessness throughout the Bay Area claim that the money being set aside for housing, is not nearly enough. According to the Corporation for Supportive Housing, California would need to invest at least $8.1 billion annually over the next 12 years in order to pull the state out of the hole its dug itself into.
In the mean time, San Mateo County, and a handful of cities throughout the Bay Area are taking immediate action and implementing alternative means of reform. San Mateo County recently approved criminal penalties for homeless people who decline shelter. The Mayor of San Jose, Matt Mahan, is pushing to ban homeless camps along the Guadalupe River. Additionally, Oakland, Milpitas, Santa Cruz and Sacramento have all come out with new rules that are aimed towards regulating and restricting public encampments.
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