Responding to the issue

One step that local jurisdictions can take to make it easier to build affordable housing is to declare a shelter crisis. Gov. Jerry Brown did this on behalf of Los Angeles and San Diego counties this fall in response to the outbreak of hepatitis A associated with the large number of unsheltered homeless people living in those regions. Other cities and counties—including Pomona, Oakland, San Jose and the Yuba/Sutter area—have declared their own crises to be able to better respond to the problem. Here are the most recent statistics from local jurisdictions and larger ones where crises have been declared. They include the rate per 10,000 population that are homeless.

—Meredith J. Cooper