California Sees Surge in Number of Homeless Women

Homelessness is a phenomenon that traditionally has predominantly affected males. But in California, the place the quantity of homeless individuals surged to 181,000 this 12 months, the quantity of homeless girls has additionally grown. Newly launched knowledge from the Department of Housing and Urban Development present 60,000 unhoused girls in the Golden state in 2023 – almost as many as New York, Texas and Florida mixed, and a rise of greater than 50% over the earlier eight years.

This rise poses a take a look at for state policymakers, who should deal with a rise in teams that face distinctive challenges, resembling home violence survivors, pregnant girls and moms. Last 12 months, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a invoice that proponents say makes California a nationwide chief in addressing the wants of unhoused girls. But regardless of the brand new regulation, the issue in California retains getting worse.

Domestic violence is cited as a significant driver of homelessness, with a study by the Urban Institute concluding earlier this 12 months: “More than a quarter of women (28.7 percent) reported leaving permanent housing because of domestic or interpersonal violence. This was the most commonly cited reason for leaving a prior permanent housing placement.” Mental well being challenges and poverty are additionally essential components.

Recently, Fox News noted, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “ten-year plan” to finish homelessness in San Francisco, the place he was mayor on the time, noticed its twentieth anniversary — with no finish to homelessness in sight.

Newsom did handle to clear the homeless off the streets of San Francisco final month, albeit briefly — an motion that he admitted he took to organize the go to of Chinese premier Xi Jinping.