Homeless at home

Most unsheltered people in Butte County aren’t from out of town

This article was published on 05.12.16

Project Homeless Connect at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds on April 27 helped 675 homeless people find services ranging from haircuts to HIV testing to housing opportunities, according to the Housing Authority of Butte County. Of those, 272 completed a survey. Here are the results:

• 16 percent of respondents have lived in Butte County for less than one year

• 63 percent have lived here for more than five years

• 53 percent have lived here for more than 10 years

• 39 percent have lived here for more than 20 years

• 68 percent said they are homeless because they cannot find affordable housing

• Two people said that they prefer to be homeless