Homelessness in The City of Pasadena

Key Findings:

Gender:

33.9% (99) of survey respondents were women and 66.1% (193) were men; this represents a significant increase for women since 1992; the 1992 Homeless Count discovered that 15% of survey respondents living on the street were women and 85% were men;

Race/Ethnicity:

47% (137) of survey respondents were African American, 27.1% (77) were White, 19% (55) were Latino, 4% (11) were Native American, and 1% (4) were Asian/Pacific Islander; this represents a significant change in the race/ethnicity since 1992; the 1992 Homeless Count reported that 40% of persons living on the street were African American, 37% were White, 13% were Latino, 4% were Native American, and 1% were Asian/Pacific Islander;

Age:

	88% (257) survey respondents became first homeless between the ages of 22 and 49;
	More women (9%) than men (8%) became homeless for the first time after the age of 50;
	More African Americans (7%) first became homeless for the first time under the age of 21 than Latinos (3%), Whites (3.4%), Asian Pacific Islanders (0.0%), and Native Americans (0.0%);

Residency:

	62.7% (183) of survey respondents first became homeless in the City of Pasadena; this represents a significant change since 1992; the 1992 Homeless Count reported that 43% of persons living on the streets first became homeless while living in Pasadena;
	68% (93) of African Americans, 64% (35) of Latinos, and 55% (42) of Whites first became homeless while living in Pasadena;
	71.9% (210) of survey respondents considered Pasadena as their home city;
	90.4% (264) of survey respondents were born in the United States;

Income:

70.2% (205) of survey respondents were receiving some type of public assistance;

Health Status:

	21.3% (62) of survey respondents had a physical disability;
	19% (55) of survey respondents received medical care within the past year;
	56.3% (161) of survey respondents had to skip meals in the past month because of not having enough money;

Substance Abuse History:

74.3% of survey respondents use alcohol and/or other drugs;

Mental Illness:

27% (79) of survey respondents were mentally ill;

Dual Diagnosis (mental illness and using alcohol and/or other drugs):

15.4% (45) of survey respondents were dual diagnosed;

Gender	Number	Percent
Women	99	33.9
Men	193	66.1
Total:	292	100

Race/Ethnicity	Number	Percent
African American	137	46.9
Asian Pacific Islander	4	1.4
Latino	55	18.8
Native American	11	3.8
White	77	26.4
Other	8	2.7
Total:	292	100.0

Age	Number	Percent
18-21	23	7.9
22-29	46	15.8
30-39	105	36.0
40-49	75	25.7
50-54	15	5.1
55-61	20	6.8
62-64	1	0.3
65-69	4	1.4
70+	2	0.7
Total:	291	100.0

Country	Number	Percent
United States	264	90.4
Mexico	18	6.2
Other	8	2.7
Total:	290	100

State	Number	Percent
California	179	61.3
Texas	11	3.8
Others	101	34.6
Total:	291	100.0

City	Number	Percent
Pasadena	93	31.8
Los Angeles	46	15.8
Others	136	46.6
Total:	100	100.0

City	Number	Percent
Pasadena	183	62.7
Los Angeles	39	13.4
Cities Within 10 Miles Of Pasadena	14	4.8
Cities In Los Angeles County	262	89.7
Cities In California	275	94.2

Length Of Time	Number	Percent
One Day	1	0.9
One Week Or Less	8	7.5
One Month Or Less	22	20.8
Three Months Or Less	38	35.8
Six Months Or Less	48	45.3
One Year Or Less	61	57.5
Two Years Or Less	72	67.9
Three Years Or More	35	33.0
Five Years Or More	22	20.8

Age	Number	Percent
17 & Under	11	3.9
18-21	31	11.1
22-29	57	20.4
30-39	99	35.5
40-49	59	21.1
50-54	9	3.2
55-59	7	2.5
60-61	3	1.1
62-64	1	0.4
65-69	1	0.4
70+	1	0.4
Total:	279	100.0

Part-Time Job	Number	Percent
Yes	9	3.8
No	230	96.2
Total:	239	100.0

Full-Time Job	Number	Percent
Yes	18	6.5
No	259	93.5
Totals:	277	100.0

Year	Number	Percent
1998	28	12.3
1997	83	36.6
1996	29	12.8
1995 Or Earlier	87	38.3
Total:	227	100.0

Reason For Leaving Job	Number	Percent
Laid Off	95	39.4
Fired	34	14.1
Other Reasons	112	46.5
Total:	241	100.0

Primary Occupation	Number	Percentage
Construction	12	4.7
Cook	14	5.5
Electrician	6	2.4
Janitor	10	4.0
Nurse/Nurse Assistant	3	1.2
Sales	8	2.7
Computer	5	2.0
Truck Driver	4	1.6
Security Guard	5	2.0
Other	186	73.5
Total:	253	100.0

Source Of Monthly Income	Number	Percent
General Relief	133	45.5
Food Stamps	69	23.6
Social Security - Disability	26	8.9
Medi-Cal	19	6.5
AFDC/TANF	18	6.2
Social Security - Retirement (Age 62+)	10	3.4
Unemployment	6	2.1
Veterans Benefits	6	2.1
Medicare/Medicaid	6	2.1
Union Pension	2	0.7

Monthly Total	Number	Percent
$0.00	82	28.1
$100 Or Less	82	28.1
$200 Or Less	87	29.8
$300 Or Less	206	70.5
$400 Or Less	227	77.7
$500 Or Less	238	81.5
$600 Or Less	243	83.2
$700 Or Less	266	91.1
$800 Or Less	280	95.9
$900 Or Less	280	95.9
$1,000 Or Less	285	97.6
$1,500 Or Less	289	99.0
$1,700 Or Less	292	100.0

Relationship Status	Number	Percent
Single	196	68.3
Married	8	2.8
Separated	32	11.1
Divorced	41	14.3
Widowed	10	3.5
Total:	287	100.0

Children With You	Number	Percent
Yes	29	11.6
No	220	88.4
Total:	249	100.0

Veteran Status	Number	Percent
Yes	38	13.8
No	238	86.2
Total:	276	100.0

Period Of Service	Number	Percent
World War II	1	2.6
Korea	5	13.2
Vietnam	17	44.7
Persian Gulf	1	2.6
Other	14	36.8
Total:	38	100.0

Years	Number	Percent
1940 - 1964	11	28.9
1965 - 1975	14	36.8
1976 - 1993	11	28.9
No Answer	2	14.4
Total:	38	100.0

Type Of Discharge	Number	Percent
Honorable	35	92.1
Medical	1	2.6
No Answer	2	5.3
Total:	38	100.0

Have Medical Card	Number	Percent
Yes	14	36.8
No	24	63.2
Total:	38

	Dia Anthony, AIDS Service Center
	Tevis Barnes, City of Pasadena/Department of Housing and Development;
	Frank Clark, Ecumenical Council of the Pasadena Area Churches;
	John Depew, City of Pasadena/Department of Housing and Development
	Eunice Gray, City of Pasadena/Department of Housing and Development;
	Marv Gross, Union Station Foundation;
	James Heard, Eaton Canyon Foundation;
	Maria Isenberg, Pasadena Senior Center;
	Larry Johnson, Union Station Foundation;
	Desmond Parrington, Institute for Urban Research and Development;
	Ron Stewart, Passageways/Pacific Clinics
	Al Sorkin, Ph.D., Urban Revitalization Development Corporation

	Bad Weather Shelter - a winter shelter operated by the Ecumenical Council of the Pasadena Area Churches;
	Grandview Foundation - a residential substance abuse recovery program operated by Grandview Foundation, Inc.;
	Haven House - a domestic violence shelter operated by Haven House, Inc.;
	Pasadena Senior Center - a non-residential program operated by the Pasadena Senior Center, Inc. that offers social services to persons 50 years of age or older including homeless individuals;
	Passageways - a non-residential program operated by Pacific Clinics that offers social services to homeless individuals and families;
	Union Station Foundation - an emergency homeless shelter operated by the Union Station Foundation.