So says the local non-profit organization EveryOne Home, which just released its biennial homeless count. While the organization indicated that Alameda County’s overall homeless count has decreased 13.6 percent, it did note that single adults now comprise 73 percent of the population, a detail that caught the attention of Daily Cal reporter Noor Al-Samarrai. EveryOne Home’s executive director, Elaine deColigny, attributed these changes partly to the Obama administration’s new Opening Doors policy, which favors children, families, and veterans, and to cuts in General Assistance funding, which goes to single adults and emancipated minors. As a result, we’re seeing fewer families, veterans, and children on the streets, as well as fewer mentally ill people (mostly thanks to Berkeley’s emphasis on mental health services). In contrast, sub-populations of chronic homeless, unsheltered homeless, and elderly homeless are rising, at the same time that more young adults are joining the so-called “hidden poor.”
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