In Livermore 276 individuals are experiencing homelessness as of 2024. From 2022 to 2024 homelessness has increased in the Bay Area in California. An example would be San Francisco, where its homeless population has increased by 7 percent.
This increase in homelessness may be the result of the increase in house prices. From 2022 to 2024 house prices have increased by 6.2 percent. This is because California is in dire need of housing and is unable to meet the demands of housing. California is one of the lowest per capita housing supply in the nation. Other factors are high costs of transportation, taxes, utilities, and food. However, the individuals themselves also play a big role in how they became homeless. Those who are homeless have gone through unemployment, addictions, mental health problems, expensive healthcare, poverty, and traumatic events.
In California the annual cost of living is $53,000 and the minimum wage of $16 per hour is $33,280 annually. This would result in people who are unable to find a higher paying job, having to live off paycheck to paycheck or work double jobs just to live in California and try to live off on the minimum.
In Livermore the cost of living is 59 percent higher than the national average and housing itself is 133 percent higher than the average. Other factors such as utilities and taxes are much higher than in other states. Livermore is considered one of the more “affordable” cities in California. As stated before, Livermore does have homeless individuals but despite communities and local governments trying to help and solve the problem homelessness is still apparent and evident which can be seen in public, especially for the residents of Livermore. Though homeless shelters are readily available within Livermore, homeless individuals are still visible roaming the streets and seen sleeping or residing in public places, such as streams, bushes, and under bridges, and can be found sleeping in different areas or abandoned buildings.
An ER Nurse, Wena Punzalan, who has worked at El Camino in Mountain View for more than 20 years explains that in the hospital homeless people come there for many reasons, she claims that they are found drunk or brought to the hospital, infected, or injured foot or leg, and at more common times with nothing wrong with them, they’d come especially at night to find somewhere to stay during the night, especially during the frigid winters. She also states that the hospital must accommodate the homeless with any resources that may prove useful or necessary for them as it is a state law. Those who do come by normally aren’t disturbing the hospital, however, do cause trouble from time to time, usually, those who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, usually they’d do outbursts and attack verbally, however on other occasions some might react physically towards the hospital staff, and hospital security or even police have to respond.
Now further insight is given by a former juvenile worker, special education teacher, and resident of Livermore. Preston Suess has given knowledge on how homelessness is and their own personal experiences, they mentioned that they know people who are homeless and how they came to be. He talks about a woman who has children, she was a result of abuse in a relationship and now moves into a shelter as she can not afford to work, pay rent, and pay for two of her children’s childcare and now is trying to get childcare vouchers for them while they are going to school. Another individual would be addicted to drugs and would spend the little amount of money they have left on drugs, they would do odd and occasional jobs just so they can get their hands on any drugs, nowadays they would roam from city to city to get any available resources to live, and according to them they’ve tried rehab but it never sticks. From their personal experience as a Special Education Teacher, most of the homeless interactions they’ve had were individuals with mental health individuals, that being from drugs, learning disabilities, mental illness, or people who have experienced a traumatic event. It doesn’t affect them personally except for those people that they know, however, they believe that it affects the entirety of the community.
The effect of homelessness in Livermore can be seen in parts of the city. Homeless individuals contribute to the city’s pollution, being seen in their camps with garbage and litter, these pollutants can be seen in the environment, whether in bodies of water such as rivers, on the street, in vegetation, or in any area in public view. Homeless individuals may also present a problem for the residents of Livermore, those under the influence of alcohol or drugs may act rationally and may cause a disturbance to people, or those who are mentally unstable and aren’t able to control themselves and may act violently on people causing discomfort or sense of unsafety. Spreading awareness of homelessness will help allow people to understand how homeless individuals came to be and understand their misfortunes and struggles, encouraging further assistance in Livermore, and in the Bay Area.
