OC Grand Jury Report: Homelessness: Is Orange County Moving in the Right Direction?

By OC Grand Jury on July 8, 2025

The Grand Jury sought to determine best practice strategies for both decreasing and preventing homelessness, and what myths and facts are associated with that condition. Dispelling the myths about homelessness is important to understanding the problem. When communities and policy makers operate on false narratives, they divert valuable resources from proven strategies like prevention, affordable housing, and supportive services. Correcting these misconceptions is not just a matter of public education, it is a necessary step toward real, sustainable progress.

In addition, the Grand Jury looked at the agencies in the County dedicated to addressing homelessness and sought to determine whether Orange County is moving in the right direction towards reducing it.

From its research and investigation, the Grand Jury identified the following myths and facts:

Myth 1: Homeless people do not want to work.

Fact: Many people experiencing homelessness have jobs. However, low wages, high rents, and job instability make it difficult for them to afford housing. The California Housing Partnership, a non-profit that provides technical assistance and policy leadership at the state and national level to increase the supply of affordable homes in California, noted that in May 2025, renters in Orange County needed to earn $54.94 per hour, or 3.3 times the State minimum wage, to afford the then-monthly average rent of $2,857. More recently, it noted that more than three out of four extremely low-income households paid more than 50% of their income on rent.

Additionally, some people experiencing homelessness struggle with a lack of adequate transportation and childcare, and/or vulnerable legal status, which further complicate their ability to maintain stable employment and housing.

Myth 2: Homelessness is a choice.

Fact: The Grand Jury’s study revealed that most people want to be housed. Many people experiencing homelessness are forced into it by circumstances such as job loss, sudden medical crises, domestic violence, and/or lack of affordable housing.

Myth 3: Mental illness and/or substance use disorder cause homelessness.

Fact: While mental illness and substance use do affect some people experiencing homelessness, these are not necessarily the primary causes. The evidence reveals that many people experiencing homelessness develop drug and alcohol problems as well as worsening mental health after they become homeless. (“Behavioral Health and Homelessness | Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative.” 2025. Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. March 19, 2025.)

Myth 4: Homelessness primarily affects single men.

Fact: Homelessness affects a diverse range of people, including families, single mothers, veterans, and the fastest growing group, elderly individuals, who, at the time of this writing, make up the largest portion of the homeless population.

Myth 5: Providing shelters and comprehensive wraparound services (programs that address multiple needs, including housing, healthcare, mental health support, employment assistance, and social services) encourages people to remain homeless.

Fact: Research and current literature show that access to shelters, food, and mental and physical healthcare helps people stabilize and transition to permanent housing. The “Housing First” approach, which prioritizes providing housing to people experiencing homelessness without preconditions such as sobriety or employment, has been proven to reduce homelessness rather than increase it. (Peng, Yinan, Robert A. Hahn, Ramona K. C. Finnie, Jamaicia Cobb, Samantha P. Williams, Jonathan E. Fielding, Robert L. Johnson, et al. 2020. “Permanent Supportive Housing with Housing First to Reduce Homelessness and Promote Health among Homeless Populations with Disability: A Community Guide Systematic Review.” Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 26 (5): 404–11.)

Myth 6: Homeless people are dangerous and/or criminals.

Fact: Studies show that individuals experiencing homelessness are far more likely to be victims of crime rather than perpetrators. Homeless people, particularly women, face higher risks of violence, theft, rape, and exploitation.

Myth 7: All homeless people live on the streets.

Fact: Many people experiencing homelessness reside in shelters, motels, hotels, or in their vehicles. Others temporarily “couch surf” with friends or family. Despite these arrangements, they still lack stable housing.

Myth 8: Homelessness is a “big city” problem.

Fact: Homelessness exists in every community, including suburbs and rural areas. The issue may be less visible in smaller communities, but it is present everywhere.

Myth 9: If a homeless person needed assistance, they could go to a shelter.

Fact: Many shelters have long waitlists, strict rules, and limited space. Some shelters do not permit pets, couples, families, or individuals with certain health conditions, leaving many without viable options.

Myth 10: Homeless people move to California, drawn by its mild climate and perceived abundance of resources.

Fact: A recent large-scale survey of unhoused Californians conducted by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, one of the largest reference studies of homelessness in California, found 90% of participants were from California (meaning they lived in California when they became homeless) and 75% lived in the same county where they were last housed. Most people become homeless in the communities where they reside. Most prefer to remain in the communities they are familiar with.

Homelessness in Orange County has been a persistent and growing issue for years. Despite substantial spending, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness continues to rise. The crisis remains both visible and worsening. The most rapidly expanding homeless and at-risk-of- becoming homeless populations are the elderly and those on fixed incomes, who are vulnerable to rising rents and other economic trends.

Approaches to this issue vary. Advocates for prevention prioritize rental assistance, housing retention, and early intervention. However, in Orange County, the focus is on more costly and reactive responses. These include expanding shelters, increasing access to temporary and transitional housing, mental health and substance use disorder services, legal support, and employment and vocational training programs to help individuals regain stability.

The reactive approach dominates because it is easier to measure. However, the Grand Jury determined that without a decisive shift toward prevention—addressing root causes before homelessness occurs—lasting progress in this area will remain out of reach. Prevention is not just a strategy; it is the foundation for any sustainable solution. Preventing homelessness before it begins spares individuals and families the trauma of displacement and offers a more humane, cost-effective path forward.

The Grand Jury acknowledges that any program to aid the homeless population is contingent on the ongoing financial support of the federal and State governments. As of the writing of this report, this funding is at risk of being reduced or eliminated.

To live without a home is to lack the foundation upon which many other opportunities are built, including healthcare, education, employment, and personal safety. Homelessness does not have a single cause; it stems from complex, interconnected factors, including economic hardship, mental health struggles, domestic violence, systemic inequalities, and the high cost of housing.

The pathways out of homelessness are equally multifaceted, requiring coordinated efforts across housing, healthcare, behavioral health, employment, and community-based services. In the view of this Grand Jury, it is unacceptable that in a region as resource rich as Orange County, thousands of individuals, including children, veterans, and seniors, are forced to tolerate harsh or horrific conditions when they end up homeless.

Even with substantial investment, homelessness remains a constant social challenge for Orange County. The Grand Jury contends that the County must move beyond reactive measures toward sustained, integrated solutions that ensure all people have the same opportunities for a safe and stable place to call home.

A key element of contemporary homelessness response is the Point-in-Time (PIT) count, a nationwide initiative mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The PIT count is usually conducted every other year and counts the number of individuals unsheltered1 and sheltered2 in a single night.

Originating in January 2005 as part of HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, this data collection effort is essential for federal funding and system planning. Prior to its standardization, data on homelessness was sporadic and inconsistent, clearly underestimating the scale of the issue. Today, the PIT count is a critical tool for tracking trends, planning services, and guiding public investment. Critics of this count have claimed significant undercounting of the homeless population; however, it remains the federally mandated approach in order to receive HUD funding.

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