San Jose has the fourth highest number of homeless people per capita in the U.S. based on a recent survey, and advocates blame it on multiple problems.
An Insider Monkey report shows that for every 100,000 people per capita, San Jose has 363 residents that are homeless. New York City ranks third, Los Angeles ranks second and Eugene, Oregon took the top spot out of 25 cities. Advocates and experts said the problem is multifold with organizations working in silos, the lack of affordable housing and soaring rents as the key issues.
In a county where the average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $3,000 per month, that would mean an entire paycheck for someone working minimum wage.
“We know that housing prevents homelessness, and we don’t have enough of the deeply affordable housing that our residents need to stay stable and safe,” Ray Bramson, chief operating officer of Destination: Home and San José Spotlight columnist, told San José Spotlight.
Approximately 4,297 new households experienced homelessness for the first time last year, a 24% jump from the 3,473 households reported in 2022. San Jose is home to 6,340 homeless people and the county tallied 9,903 unhoused people in its 2023 point-in-time count, a biennial survey of the region’s homeless residents. And despite efforts, for every family the county houses, nearly two households become homeless.