Understanding Homelessness
Explore the complexities of homelessness and gain a deeper understanding of this pressing issue in our society.
Part One
The Root Causes of Homelessness
There are many systemic causes of homelessness. These factors contribute to extreme vulnerability and are the main reasons as to why people become unhoused.
Lack of Affordable Housing
Los Angeles County is 500,000 units short of affordable housing, leaving many people on the brink of homelessness.
Rising Cost of Living
The decision to pay rent vs buying groceries is becoming too common of a narrative. Especially for those with stagnant wages.
Racial Disparity
Most minority groups experience homelessness at higher rates due to long-standing historical and structural racism.
Systemic Obstacles
Many systemic challenges rooted in classism, racism, and sexism that harm individuals and families put people at greater risk of becoming homeless at some point in their lifetime.
Featured Success Stories
Families and Individuals Like Anyone Else
Union Station Homeless Services helped thousands of people find a home and begin rebuilding their lives.
These are some of their stories of strength and resilience.
The Homeless Population:
A Closer Look at Los Angeles County
On any given night, more than 75,000 people experience homelessness in LA County. In Pasadena, approximately 556 people are experiencing homelessness.
Minority groups are disproportionally more likely to experience homelessness.
Part Two
The Economic Factors Contributing to Homelessness
Homelessness is often driven by economic factors, such as the lack of affordable housing and employment opportunities. These challenges can make it difficult for individuals and families to secure stable housing and maintain financial stability.
35% Job Loss
Job loss was the largest economic contributing factor for those experiencing homelessness for the first time in 2023 (LAHSA homeless count).
$2,452
Is the average monthly rent for living in Los Angeles. The median household income preceding homelessness was $935.
Breaking The Stereotypes
Frequent assumptions and questions around homelessness.
Find out what’s myth and what’s fact.
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Surveys show 70-80% of unhoused people were housed in the local area and lived there for a year or more before losing their housing.
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There is no evidence to support this notion that some people are “service resistant.” The Housing First model has proven that immediate low-barrier access to housing with support services is welcomed and accepted by the vast majority of unhoused people.
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Experts estimate that only about 30% of unhoused people have a substance use or mental health issue. Substance use is rarely the sole cause of homelessness, and more often a coping response to the trauma of living without a home. A dire lack of appropriate and accessible mental health care is a driver of homelessness.
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Living outside is dangerous, and unhoused people are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators. They are however, more likely to have criminal records because many of their daily survival activities are criminalized—such as trespassing, littering, loitering or inability to pay fines.
Part Three
The Threats to Housing Stability
In addition to systemic and economic causes, there are life circumstances that make individuals more susceptible to the threat of becoming unhoused.
Trauma
People experiencing homelessness often live with a multitude of personal challenges, such as the sudden loss of a home or adjusting to conditions of shelter life.
Domestic Violence
Research shows that domestic violence is one of the main drivers into homelessness for the over 23,000 homeless women in Los Angeles County.
Addiction
According to the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, of those experiencing homelessness, 30% have substance use disorders.
Physical and Mental Health
According to the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, of those experiencing homelessness, 25% suffer from serious mental illness.
Part Four
The USHS Approach
Union Station Homeless Services takes a three step approach to ending homelessness. By doing so, we have a 97% housing retention rate — meaning that when folks get housed, they stay housed.
1) Housing First
The Housing First approach offers, without preconditions, housing along with comprehensive support services. We connect people to community-based services, medical and mental healthcare services, education, employment opportunities, and benefits enrollment they need to stay housed.
2) Trauma-Informed Care
Poverty, hunger, domestic violence, and homelessness – these are traumatic experiences. This approach recognizes the role trauma plays in the lives of our clients and seeks to shift the perspective from, “What’s wrong with you,” to, “How have your experiences impacted the way you interact with the world around you?”
3) Harm Reduction
Our low-barrier programs meet people “where they are” to help them reduce negative consequences, such as substance use, with strategies ranging from safe, managed use to abstinence, while simultaneously addressing the broken systems that perpetuate and complicate these issues.