About homelessness
Homelessness is a complex, regional issue affecting all of Orange County, the State of California, and cities across the U.S. There are several root causes of homelessness--and we are doing our part to address homelessness to ensure a better quality of life for all of our residents.
The impact of homelessness takes a crippling toll on those who experience it. It can cause families to separate and has negative impacts on children's physical and mental health, causing them to miss school and delaying their development. Individuals who are homeless often become isolated from their communities, their careers are disrupted, and finding or maintaining employment becomes nearly impossible. All too often, homelessness is associated with the onset of complex, costly health conditions.
What are the causes of homelessness?
The causes of homelessness vary, but often homelessness and poverty are linked. The major factors provoking homelessness in our community are:
- Difficulty in securing or retaining jobs with sustainable wages
- Difficulty in finding or retaining affordable housing, including evictions and foreclosures
- Family issues, which include domestic violence, family dysfunction, relationship dissolution, and/or death of a family member
- Alcohol and/or drugs
- Mental health
- Physical health
- Release from jail/prison
Homelessness affects the communities in which it occurs. The longer people are homeless the worse these problems become. We must remember homelessness is not a crime. However, violating the Santa Ana Municipal Code is a crime.
Click here to learn more about reporting issues related to homelessness.