Annual Homeless Needs Oriented Survey 2019 64 respondents 30 Questions Survey time: February & April, 2019 Survey location: In an around downtown Santa Cruz area Student Intern Director - Nancy Krusoe Program Director - Laney Meris UCSC Student Intern Surveyors: LaShanette Breazell Daria Gershkovitch Gypsy Alvarado Covarrubias Lily Nauta Shayda Hami Michelle Wan Presenter: Eric Erickson Survey Sponsor: Santa Cruz Coalition on Homelessness Survey and summary: Brent Adams Why do we need a new homeless survey? What gets measured gets done. That phrase is no truer than in homelessness. There is a bi-annual Point In Time homelessness survey mandated by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as a function of access to federal funding. The PIT Count is mainly a census with an abbreviated demographic survey conducted within an extremely small subset. What’s not being measured are specific unmet needs experienced by people who sleep outside and in cars. If we as a community are to focus public and private dollars to fund services as well as creating and operating programs we need a clear-eyed view of what people are experiencing. Second year of Connecting the Dots This survey was conceived of as a student intern project to put students in direct contact with people who sleep outside. The survey is conducted annually within the UCSC Spring Quarter as Santa Cruz Coalition on Homelessness works with student interns. We expect the data produced will be used by the greater community to both improve existing services and to create new services that are increasingly more effective at addressing unmet needs experienced by people who sleep outside in Santa Cruz. Last year’s data demonstrated the immediate need for a homeless persons’ storage program. What will this year’s data inspire? Summary of data Where do people sleep? Most reported to sleeping downtown, on the Westside or Eastside. A much smaller percentage report to using traditional shelters. Citations More than 70% stated they’ve received homelessness related citations in the past year and most of those were for “trespassing/being in a closed area” or for “camping.” Safety Half said they sleep in areas that are “unsafe” or in a “dangerous situation” with more than 25% more claiming to be “somewhat safe.” Identification Half stated they have a California Identification card while a third of respondents stated they have a “suspended license” or “would like to get one.” Benefits More than 60% receive EBT grocery benefits More than 30% receive SSI, while an additional 30% receive Social Security, yet a startling 26% report that they may be eligible for SS yet are not receiving benefits. Services 62% have some access to Homeless Services Center while 37% don’t 29% of people receive mail at HSC 45% have showered at HSC Mail 21% don’t use any address and they don’t want one 10% want help in getting an address Bathing 45% take “bird baths in public restrooms” 45% have showered at Homeless Services Center Laundry ½ of the people surveyed report to not laundering clothes at all, with a small number washing with river water. Where do people poop? Most report to using a public restroom with the same number having defecated outside at some point. Food Food service is offered 7 days a week in different locations and people’s answers reflect a patchwork to food access that has them moving around town to eat when and where it’s available. Many receive leftovers and many more purchase their own food. Medical Most people are accessing medical intentionally through the Homeless Persons’ Health Project on Coral St. or Emeline and with some using Dominican Hospital. Many report to using no medical service at all and a surprisingly small set stated that they access medical services through use of an ambulance. Addictive Drug of Choice Marijuana is the clear front-runner favorite with fewer stating that alcohol is there preferred substance and an equal number stating they use no addictive substance at all. Meth and opiates are found to be low in this survey. Storage 60% need storage 25% state that they’re comfortable with carrying all their belongings with them. Those in need of storage have dropped significantly from last year. Emergency Shelter Programs 57% stayed at Warming Center Program and has a “good experience,” 6% had a “bad experience.” 27% stayed at Winter Shelter and had a “good experience,” 19% report to having a “bad experience.” 54% reported to never having stated at the Winter Shelter. The Winter Shelter is open many more nights when compared to the Warming Center, which is open infrequently. There is far more chance for an individual to have a “bad experience” at a shelter they frequent more. What is surprising here is that many more report to having stayed at the Warming Center at all, which is open infrequently. General Assistance More than 75% have never received general assistance funding thought it’s likely available to them. Clothing 60% report to having “enough clothing,” while ½ of those people who were surveyed report to not having enough rain gear. Downtown Streets Team More than 80% of those surveyed have ever worked with the Streets Team, but a high percentage of those who did had a “good experience.” The Survey 1. How long have you been in Santa Cruz? 64 responses 1. Born here 2. More than 10 years 25 3. 5-10 years 8 4. 1-5 years 11 5. Less than a year -How long have you been sleeping outside? 64 responses 0 1. More than 10 years . 2. 5-10 years 0 3. 1-5 years 0 4. Less than a year 3. Where do you usually sleep? 64 responses 1. Winter shelter 2. Transitional housing 10 6. Ross Camp 7. Harvey West Area 8. Downtown outside 11 - 10 ?36 21 10 Eastside 13 11 Woodland 1O (15 12. San Lorenzo Valley ~11 13. Other 13 4. Have you received a citation for sleeping outside in the past 12 months? 62 responses 1. Camping 21 2. Obstructing the sidewalk 12 3. Trespassing/closed area ?28 4. Being in a doonNay/near 5 building 5. No 18 6. Other you feel safe when you sleep? 64 responses 0 1. Very safe . 2. Somewhat safe 0 3. Not safe 0 4. Dangerous situation . 5. Other 6. Do you have a valid 64 responses . 1. Yes . 2. No 3. Working on it 4. Never . 5. Other 7. Do you have a valid driver's license? 64 responses . 1. California driver?s license valid . 2. California driver?s license suspended 3. Out of state license valid 94% 4. Out of state license not valid . 5. Not a driver 18. 6. Would like to get one 7. Other 8. Do you have an EBT card? 64 responses has lapsed, need to re- register 4. Not eligible . 5. Don?t want one . 6. Other 9. Do you draw Supplemental Security Income 64 responses . 1. Yes . 2. Not eligible 26.6% 3. I may be eligible and I may register eligible and I need help to 32.8% register 10. Do you regularly draw Social Security? 64 responses . 1. Yes 2. No 3. Eligible, need help accessing it 11. Do you access services at Homeless Services Center? 64 responses . 1. No 2. Yes 12. Do you receive mail? 61 responses . 1. Yes, at Homeless Services Center (Coral Street) . 2. No mail. don't want to 3. No mail. need help getting an address 0 4. PO. Box Santa Cruz . 5. Yes, out of town . 6. At another Santa Cruz address 13. Where do you bathe? 64 responses 1. Homeless Services Center 29 2. St. Francis Food Kitchen 15 3. I don't bathe . 9 4. Motel 9 5. Friend's house 6. Bird bath in public restrooms 29 7. Outdoor showers 8. Other - 4 14. Where do you launder clothing? 64 responses 1. Laundromat 28 2. Homeless Services Center 9 3. Friend?s house 4. River water 5. I don?t launder, discard them 26 15. Where do you go poop? 64 responses 1. Public restroom/porta potty 54 2. Friend's house 8 3. Outside uncovered 8 4. Outside covered 14 5. Natural area uncovered *9 6. Natural area covered Other -4 0 20 40 60 16. Where do you eat daily? 63 responses 1. St. Francis Food Kitchen (weekdays) 2. Food Not Bombs (weekend) - 25 - -20 3. Elm Street 11 4. Receive leftovers downtown 32 5. Purchase own food - 34 6. Monday night Red Church 14 7. Free grocery program -3 8. Other 19 0 10 20 30 40 17. Where do you access medical services? 63 responses 1. Homeless Person's Health 0 Project 22 (34.9 - 13 3. Dominican Hospital -18 4. I need help with medical . 3 servrces 5. Ambulance pick-up 3 6. ldon't use medical services 7. Other you have an addictive drug of choice? 64 responses 1. No 2. Alcohol 3. Math 4. Opiates (smokeOpiates (inject) 7. Opiates (other) 8. Pharma 9. 10. Other 29 3 10 20 30 19. Do you have any mental health challenges? it 64 responses 1. No 28 2. Yes - pharrna 3. Yes - pharrna and counseling 4. Yes - no service. no medication 5. Yes - self-medication 10 6. Maybe. would like evaluation 7. Emotional support animal] service dog you have a physical mobility challenge? 64 responses . 1. Yes - wheelchair. cane, walker 0 2. Yes. no device needed 0 3. No 4. Yes - need help with accessing servrces . 5. Yes - need help with getting a device 21. Are you a veteran? 64 responses 0 1. Yes - receive bene?ts 0 2. Yes - need help with bene?ts 0 3. No 22. Do you need storage for personal belongings? Fr 64 responses . 1. I carry a large amount of belongings and want storage 0 2. I carry a large amount of belongings and I don't want storage 0 3. Need storage for bedding and personal belongings . 4. I have a storage space already 0 5. I carry a backpack and don't . 6. I keep things at a friend's house 0 7. I don't need storage 23. Have you stayed at the Warming Center Program? 64 responses good experience bad experience 0 3. No 24. Have you stayed at the Winter Shelter? 63 responses . 1. Yes - I had a good experience bad experience 3. No 25. Have you received General Assistance money? 64 responses 0 1. Yes 2. No 76.6% 26. Do you have enough warm clothing? 64 responses 0 1. I have enough warm clothing 0 2. I don't have enough warm clothing 60.9% 27. Do you have enough rain gear? 64 responses 0 1. I have enough rain gear 0 2. I don't have enough rain gear 28. Have you worked with the Downtown Streets Team? 64 responses . 1. Yes - I had a good experience . 2. Yes - I had a bad experience 0 3. No 29. Do you have health coverage? 64 responses . 1. Private policy . 2. VANeteran 3. Medi-Care . 4. Medl-Cal . 5. No 30. Where do you access drinking water? 64 responses 1. Drinking fountain 41 2. Purchase new from store 27 3. Fill containers at store 19 4. Fill containers at sink 25 5. Access from food program 12 6. I don't drink much water 10