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San Bernardino County touts successes in addressing homelessness
San Bernardino Sep 27, 2024
Point-in-Time Count participants speak with a man experiencing homelessness. | Photo courtesy of San Bernardino County
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As the number of unhoused people in San Bernardino County slows its rate of increasing, officials highlighted outreach operations as the main driver of success in efforts to reduce homelessness.
The county conducted its annual Point-In-Time Count on the night of Jan. 25 to determine the number of residents experiencing homelessness. “A key takeaway” from this year’s homeless census was the number of unhoused people grew by 1% compared with 6.6% in 2023, “which indicates progress in addressing this issue,” according to a county statement.
The results of the 2024 PITC showed 4,255 people experiencing homelessness in the county, compared with 4,195 last year. Unsheltered homelessness increased 2.6% from 2,976 individuals living outdoors in 2023 to 3,055 in 2024.
The San Bernardino County Office of Homeless Services, or OHS and the agency’s nongovernmental partners have taken steps to provide immediate shelter, increase the county’s housing and system capacity and connect with families and individuals experiencing homelessness via outreach programs.
“Although our work is far from over, I’m glad we’re moving in the right direction,” OHS Chief Marcus Dillard said in a statement. “Much of our success can be attributed to the outreach programs that we conduct on a regular basis.”
OHS staff members coordinate outreach visits to engage with unhoused individuals where they are situated to assess their needs and identify temporary housing options.
During a March 13 outreach visit, OHS staffers encountered Tammie Turner, a single mother who was living in her car with her son and two dogs.
“I had lost my job, working at a great place,” Turner said in a statement. “After that loss, I fell behind in rent. By the time I found a new job, it was too late to discuss the terms with my landlord, so we had to move out.”
Turner and her family moved into a hotel, but she struggled to pay the room’s $136 daily fee, officials said. When she exhausted all of her funds, the family was forced to live in her car. Every night, Turner had to deal with the fear uncertainty of finding a safe place to park where they could sleep. Other routine daily tasks that became serious challenges included locating water, coping with harsh weather, finding a restroom and doing laundry.
“My dogs used to bark at strangers passing by my car at all times of the night,” Turner said. “They were trying to warn us of potential danger.”
With the help of OHS staff, she and her family were able to find temporary housing in an emergency shelter, where she had access to housing navigation services, rental assistance, health insurance for her son and free legal services to help her apply for Social Security Disability Insurance for her son.
“Now that we’ve found temporary housing, I go to work with a restful mind knowing that my son and my dogs are safe,” Turner said. “Getting back on my feet has restored a sense of pride and dignity.”
Turner will receive ongoing case management services and work on securing permanent housing, officials said. The process of securing permanent housing includes developing an individual service plan, identifying and addressing barriers, finding sources of income to increase stability and locating housing units.
“We are truly blessed to have a number of people helping us,” said Turner. “It shows that there’s still good people in this world. The program that I’m in is remarkable, and I can’t say thank you enough. Words cannot express my gratitude.”
In addition to Turner, others have found housing as a result of OHS outreach, including seven individuals who were housed during that outreach visit alone.
The OHS works with community and faith-based organizations, educational institutions, private industry and all levels of government to formulate a comprehensive countywide network that delivers services to San Bernardino County’s unhoused residents, officials said. The OHS also supports the county’s Homeless Provider Network and Interagency Council on Homelessness. Additionally, the OHS collaborates with other agencies to organize the annual PITC and countywide Homeless Summit.
More information is available at sbchp.sbcounty.gov.
