Study Reveals Homelessness as a Growing Problem in Pacifica

The Pacifica Resource Center (PRC) released a report last week that reveals a growing problem in Pacifica: homelessness. 

According to the report ”Homeless in Pacifica? Understanding the Escalating Situation & Creating a Community Response” — based in part on a one-day homeless count conducted in January 2013 — homelessness in Pacifica has increased 900 percent in the last six years.

“Life is not a beach for unhoused Pacificans,” said PRC Executive Director, Anita Rees, who co-authored the report with Professor Sheila Katz of Sonoma State University’s Sociology Department. 

“The number of Pacificans in poverty has tripled since 2000 and despite growing poverty and homelessness, Pacifica has no dedicated resources to addresses homelessness in the city," added Katz.

The closest homeless shelters are hours away on public transportation. Pacifica is cut off geographically from the San Mateo county services, public transportation, homeless and warming shelters, and other social programs.

“And many consider poverty, homelessness, and hunger as ‘big city problems’ for San Francisco or East Palo Alto,” Rees continues. Yet, Pacifica’s unemployment rate is higher than San Mateo County as a whole, and is comparable to the unemployment rates of South San Francisco, Daly City, and West Menlo Park.

As Katz and Rees explain in the report, “Two primary myths exist about homelessness in Pacifica: people are passing through and there are only a handful of homeless people in Pacifica. Both myths lead the community into believing no homeless ‘problem’ exists in Pacifica.”

“While homeless Pacificans are lacking permanent shelter, they are not lacking in connection in the community,” said Cindy Abbott, longtime Pacifica resident and PRC Advisory Board member. “That’s one of the myths about the homeless population in Pacifica….That unhoused individuals are 'just passing through.’”

The 2013 one day homeless count in Pacifica found an increasing number of unsheltered or unhoused people. Every two years in late January, advocates, homeless guides, and community members gather before dawn to walk the city street by street and count the homeless population.

Karen Ervin, a Pacifica City Council Member, participated in the homeless count. She explains, “It was an eye opening experience. I was paired with a homeless guide who pointed out where our unsheltered residents were sleeping at night, mostly in cars, trucks, and RVs. I was surprised that every census tract came back with at least one homeless individual observed during the count.”

In 2007, only seven homeless individuals were counted in Pacifica. The number of homeless in Pacifica more than doubled by 2009 to sixteen, and then rose by over 600% two years later in 2011 to 95. In 2013, the number of homeless increased again by over a third to 150 – an over 900% increase since 2007.

“We have long been committed to ending homelessness in our community, through the Housing Endowment and Regional Trust of San Mateo County, and through support for a wide variety of social services programs operated and supported by county government,” states Supervisor Don Horsley, President, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. “Thanks to the generous approval of the county voters, we will have Measure A funding to add to our support of the East Palo Alto Homeless Shelter and the expansion of our Homeless Outreach Teams, which will include one that specializes in serving the northern part of the county, including Pacifica. A society is judged by its treatment of the less-fortunate and those in need. I am proud that San Mateo County does its best to provide programs and solutions to address homelessness.”

Given that Pacifica is 5.18% of the population of San Mateo County in 2013, the homeless population was 11.57% of the county’s homeless population – this puts the city of Pacifica at the third highest homeless population in San Mateo County behind Redwood City (307) and South San Francisco (172).

Katz points out that “compared to other cities and counties in our area, Pacifica’s increase in homelessness is immense. The homeless counts increased in 2009 and 2011 due to the effects of the Great Recession, but started to fall again in 2013. For example, Sonoma County’s homeless count increased by 40% from 2009 to 2011, but actually decreased in 2013 by about 6% from the 2011 count. Therefore, Pacifica’s massive increase in the same time is quite surprising.”

Rees contends, “It is totally possible – in a city like Pacifica – to ensure that everyone has a roof over their heads.” Katz explains, “Dispelling myths about homelessness in Pacifica is important to create a community response. Myths perpetuate the sense that nothing is wrong, but the hard data illustrates the tremendous rise in homelessness. This data dispels these myths and shows a need that must be addressed.”

Pacifica Police Chief Jim Tasa states, “This increase in homelessness was surprising. As first responders we are dedicated to being involved in the community effort to reduce homelessness in our city.”

“Our next step is to create the Pacifica Homeless Response Team (HRT), which will include city officials, Pacifica Police Department, and community members to work together and develop new solutions to address homelessness in the city and along the San Mateo coast,” Rees concludes. “And, the Pacifica Resource Center is dedicated to leading the effort to solve this social concern, so life canbe a beach for all Pacificans.”

Katz and Rees have been collaborating on projects to raise awareness about poverty and improve social polices for low-income families since 2003.

The information in this article was based on a press release posted on the Pacifica Resource Center's website. For more information, please contact Anita Rees at 650-738-7470 or anita@pacresourcecenter.org or Prof. Sheila Katz at sheila.katz@sonoma.edu.