Chronic Homelessness Jumps 11 Percent in Santa Clara County

There are 11 percent more chronically homeless people living in Santa Clara County this year than in 2009, according to preliminary numbers released today from the county's bi-annual homeless census.

Officials released the data, along with findings from the "" survey this week, during a one-stop "Project Homeless Connect" event in San Jose.

Volunteers counted 7,045 homeless residents during the February , 41 individuals less than during the same count in 2009.

While the total number decreased slightly, there were 250 more chronically homeless, totalling 2,520 county residents who have been without permanent housing for more than a year.

"They got some people housed, but chonic homelessness has gone up," said Jan Bernstein–Chargin, a long-time homeless advocate in Gilroy who had not yet seen the data.

Officials at the event said that improved counting methods in the 2011 census could have contributed to the higher number of chronically homeless in the data.

Gilroy has the highest per-capita rate of homelessness in the county, according to county Homeless Concerns Coordinator Bob Dolci.

Current numbers for Gilroy have yet to be released, but the count listed 599 homeless residents in 2009–61 less than in 2007.

The numbers in the survey reflect a point-in-time count conducted throughout the county in February. Volunteers surveyed areas in car and on foot along with a homeless guide.

Officials from the Santa Clara County Collaborative on Affordable Housing and Homeless Issues announced the data today during a presentation of findings from the first round of surveys for the "Housing 1,000 SV" project.

Housing 1,000 SV, a separate project from the census, is an effort to record the specific needs of homeless individuals in the county. It kicked off this week.

"The point of the registry is to identify the 1,000 most vulnerable homeless people in the county," said Bernstein-Chargin.

The South County registry will be July 20 in Gilroy and July 21 in Morgan Hill, she said. Volunteers are needed to conduct the survey, enter data and coordinate the registy and can contact Bernstein-Chargin at jbchargin@gccsoco.org to get involved.

"It upsets me that there are people dying on the streets and we don't even know their names," says campaign director for the nation-wide Housing 100,000 project, Becky Kanis.

The organization hopes to house the country's 100,000 most vulnerable homeless by 2013.

The biannual homeless census is required to obtain federal funding for homeless programs.

Highlights from Housing 1000 SV

• Cities surveyed: Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Mountain View, Palo Also, San Jose, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
• Total individuals surveyed: 700
• 36 individuals were homeless more than 20 years.
• The longest length of homelessness was 58 years.
• Median years of homeless for vulnerable population was 6 years; 4 for non-vulnerable.
• 226 reported dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse.
• 78 reported symptoms of mental illness.
• 217 reported history of substance abuse.
• 521 reported a behavioral health issue.
• 130 surveyed were veterans: 103 were honorably discharged, and 61 met criteria for “vulnerable”
• 99 reported a history of foster care.
• 33 were under 25 years old, 20 of them had a history of foster care.
• 140 were employed.
• 143 have some sort of Social Security benefit.
• 226 reported being the victim of a violent attack since becoming homeless
• 142 reported suffering from a brain injury.