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The Facts on San Diego In San Diego County, because of the high cost of living and preponderance of low-wage jobs, the percentage of people living in poverty outpaces poverty rates for the state and the nation as a whole. When the very high cost of housing in the San Diego region is taken into account, 17 percent of San Diegans live in poverty, compared with 16.1 percent in California as a whole and 12 percent in the entire United States.[1] Economic deprivation, in turn, produces a variety of community challenges, including homelessness, hunger and public health risks: • Structural unemployment remains a major problem in San Diego, according to the California Employment Development Department, with over 78,000 San Diegans unemployed in our region.[2] Long-term unemployment is a contributing reason why more than 330,000 persons in San Diego County live below the federal poverty level.[3] • According to the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, there are close to 10,000 homeless individuals and families living in the San Diego region.[4] Homeless individuals have high rates of mental illness and are often impacted by multiple physical health risk factors, including hunger, exposure to the elements and vulnerability to violent assaults. They often have histories of being victims of multiple traumas such as domestic violence, childhood physical and sexual abuse and/or neglect, and broken homes. • Each year more than 9,000 individuals are released from state prison back into the San Diego community and many more are released from incarceration in County jails.[5] These persons need assistance in obtaining a job and resisting negative temptations, in order to avoid recidivism and re-incarceration. Compared to the general population, released inmates experience higher rates of substance abuse, mental illness, infectious disease, unemployment and homelessness. These challenges are often experienced in conjunction with one another. The difficulties faced in tandem (e.g. substance abuse, mental illness and/or HIV infection) are particularly acute, and the associated service needs are even more complex and challenging. • Extreme poverty in San Diego County has consequences for meeting the most basic of needs, such as whether one has enough to eat. The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research estimates there are over 61,000 persons in San Diego County who lack sufficient resources to regularly put "food on the table" and experience episodes of hunger.[6] Second Chance's programs and initiatives are designed to address the workforce development needs of the "hardest to serve" segments of San Diego's population. By assisting individuals who are committed to becoming self-sufficient, positive members of their community, Second Chance helps to prevent chronic social problems that impact our region, including homelessness, hunger, crime, public health risks, gang activities, substance abuse and family poverty. [1] Deborah Reed, "Poverty in California," California Counts – Population Trends and Profiles, Public Policy Institute of California, Vol. 7, No. 4, May 2006, pp. 1, 8. [2] California Employment Development Department. "California LaborMarketInfo Data Library" (www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov). January 2008. [3] "Earnings, Poverty and Income Inequality in San Diego County: Analysis of regional data from the US Census Bureau 2006 American Community Survey," Center for Policy Initiatives, August 28, 2007, p. 1. [4] Regional Task Force on the Homeless – San Diego, www.rtfhsd.org/home.html. [5] "County and Region of Parole – Calendar Year 2007," Data Analysis Unit, Estimates and Statistical Analysis Section, Offender Information Services Branch, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, January 2008, p. 6. [6] Gail G. Harrison, George Manalo-LeClair, Anthony Ramirez, Y. Jenny Chia, John Kurata, November McGarvey and Matt Sharp, "More Than 2.9 Million Californians Now Food Insecure," Health Policy Research Brief, UCLA Center for Health Policy, June 2005, p. 3. Click here. |
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