SJ has fourth-highest homeless population per capita in nation

Image by James Abbott

There were an estimated 363 homeless people per 100,000 residents in San Jose last year, according to insidermonkey.com. The only U.S. cities with higher homelessness rates were: NY; LA; and Eugene, OR.

In 2022, there were an estimated 582,000 homeless Americans. A report published by Homebay sheds light on the correlation between expensive housing and the rate of homeless people across the US. Data collected across the 50 largest metropolitan cities suggested that cities with houses valued higher than the national average had the highest rate of homeless people. Meanwhile, cities with houses valued below the average value had 2.5 times fewer homeless people. The lack of affordable housing directly increases the demand for housing, giving landlords and corporations opportunities to raise rents and exploit low-income families

Low-income families and workers face the most difficulty in finding affordable housing. The National Low Income Housing Coalition reported that a full-time worker must earn $21.25 per hour to be able to afford single-room housing in the US.  This is termed the 'housing wage' required if a person wants to spend less than 30% of their total income on housing costs. The high cost of living coupled with out-of-reach rents have made it impossible for an average low-income family to survive, resulting in an alarmingly high number ending up homeless.

Go Deeper:

• Here's how SJ and SF approach homelessness—and what needs to change (1/4)
• Housing expert says: San Jose—lots of homeless spending, still-soaring homelessness
• Advice to Mahan: Expose SJ’s Homeless Industrial Complex

San Jose is a buzzing metropolis in the state of California. Located in Silicon Valley, it is best known for its innovative technology industry. Companies like Apple, Google, and Adobe have headquarters in the city, making it a technology hub. There were an estimated 363 homeless people per 100,000 residents in San Jose.

{Jan, 2024 data}

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