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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.
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