Results from the
2009 Santa Monica Homeless Count
This year, the City of Santa Monica worked in
conjunction with the Los Angeles Homeless Services
Authority (LAHSA) during LAHSA’s region-wide
homeless count. The City amped-up local efforts,
organizing more than 250 community volunteers to
cover every block within the City’s borders.
Santa Monica’s new, more rigorous methodology has
resulted in the most accurate count findings ever,
reflecting the City’s commitment to the issue of
homelessness. The data will serve as benchmark from
which further reductions in street homelessness will
be tracked and the success of local efforts to end
homelessness evaluated. The same methodology will be
used in future counts.
The
2009 Santa Monica Homeless Count showed a reduction
in the number of homeless individuals living in
Santa Monica.
· The
overall homeless population shrunk 8% from 2007.
· The
point-in-time homeless count is 915; point-in-time
street homeless population is 480.
· Of
a total shelter population of 435 in 2009, nearly
75% were individuals, while 25% were families. No
homeless families were found on the streets.
On
January 27, 2009, 260 community volunteers were
divided into 70 small teams, each of which was
assigned a specific territory. Together, volunteers
covered every street and alley in Santa Monica, a
total of 226 linear miles.
Volunteers were instructed to tally every homeless
individual they encountered as well as every car,
RV, tent or box that someone appeared to be living
in. Homeless individuals in shelters, jails, motels,
and hospitals were simultaneously counted by LAHSA.
Improvements
in Methodology between 2007 and 2009:
· The
2009 Count has produced city-wide data from all of
the city’s 19 census tracts. No multipliers or
projections were used.
· In
2007 only 12 census tracts were counted; projections
were used for the remaining 7 tracts. Multipliers
were used to determine the number of people in
vehicles and tents and boxes. Projections from a
county-wide telephone survey were also applied.
· If
this year’s methodology had been applied in 2007,
the 2007 total of 1,506 would have been 999
individuals.
Click here for the
presentation and
map.
