Director’s Note, by Mark Dyken

Homelessness has become one of the defining issues of our time.  We can all see what the data confirm – more and more people are living without shelter.  California, with at least 161,000 unsheltered people leads the nation in people experiencing homelessness.  The tent cities and clusters of cars are visible all along our highways, city streets, vacant lots, campgrounds, and other accessible places.  Even our sleepy rural towns are seeing the rise in tents on the streets.

According to a recent Sacramento Bee article, about a quarter of communities in the state report homelessness has doubled since 2015.  Getting an accurate count of people living without shelter is very difficult so any number is almost certainly an undercount.  The pandemic and economic fallout have contributed to an increase but the trend was well underway before COVID hit.  Over 80% of those surveyed say they were homeless before March of 2020.  These reports from around the state and country mirror what we see here in Tuolumne County.  The numbers continue to rise.

A challenge this great needs a full range of responses proportionate to the issue we face.  There is no single solution.  Action is needed on all levels – policy, planning, law, social service delivery, innovative housing solutions, economic opportunity, youth and family services, and a full range of emergency and supportive housing for those in crisis.  Ignoring people’s needs or criminalizing poverty will not clean up the streets.  Many people, especially those experiencing chronic homelessness have complex medical, social, and emotional challenges.  If we don’t care for the most vulnerable among us the problem grows and sooner or later it impacts every one of us.  It’s time for bold, innovative action.

Programs like Universal Basic Income can have a huge impact – simply giving a family as little as $400 per month has been shown to lift them out of poverty and improve health and wellness.  Not just because the extra money helps to pay bills but it can buy a person time to look for a better job, go back to school, or even start a small business.  Another example is street outreach which establishes connections and meets those experiencing homelessness where they are while listening to stories to understand the unmet needs and help bridge the gap.

Resiliency Village is part of a new wave of service providers who seek to understand the impact of childhood trauma and work from a person-centered approach to provide equitable, team-based case plans that are data-driven.  We’re looking for the gaps in systems of care and working to fill what we can. It’s an exciting time to build something from the ground up and meet a great need.  Stay tuned for some big announcements about our recent acceptance into a very special high-powered collaborative with 7 other successful non-profit service agencies.  There are great things on the horizon for this work.  Thank you for being part of the team.