California State University Channel Islands

Photovoice Paper

Stacy Rivera

Health 102 - Community Health Organization

Wednesday - 4 PM

04/28/2020

Stacy Rivera
Community Health Organizations

04/28/2020

There is no better feeling than coming home from a long day at school or work to enjoy a

good meal, a hot shower, and eventually a warm bed. However, many individuals don’t have this

luxury that so many of us take for granted each and every day. Homelessness is a growing

problem in America. It doesn’t spare any race, religion, or gender and although we turn a blind

eye to it there are increasing levels of homelessness in our own backyard of Ventura County.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), “As of January

2019, California had an estimated 151,278 experiencing homelessness on any given day” (HUD,

2020). Additionally, the Ventura County Star stated, “Ventura County's homeless population

rose for the third straight year in 2020, with 1,743 homeless adults and children counted during a

single day in January through the annual point-in-time count” (Ventura County Star). The article

noted that most of the homeless residents were counted in the cities of Oxnard and Ventura.

However, most of the county's overall increase for this year came from the East County cities of

Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. The city of Thousand Oaks and parts of Simi Valley are known

to be established and affluent areas yet there was a significant increase in homelessness. For this

assignment I interviewed Livy Garcia; a director at Rain Communities located in Camarillo, CA.

Rain Communities is an organization that provides transitional living to individuals and small

families transitioning from homelessness to self-sufficiency. Additionally, they provide meals,

counseling and mental health services, and parenting classes, transportation for jobs, and require

their residents to participate in a savings program for future housing. During my interview with

Livy Garcia she stated she believed the three aspects that impact the health of the homeless
community in our county are mental health, housing, and social stigmas surrounding the

homeless.

Mental Health

Livy Garcia stated that one of the aspects that highly impacts the overall health of the

homeless community in Ventura County is mental health. Moreover, Harvard Medical School

explains the following, “About a quarter to a third of the homeless have a serious mental illness

— usually schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression — and the proportion is

growing” (Harvard Medical School). However, Livy explained that the residents in their program

are overcoming anxiety, depression, and trauma more so than the severe mental disorders that are

most associated with homelessness. Their organization provides long term therapy and

counseling for its residents to help them develop techniques to cope with and overcome their

mental health issues. The residents of their program are working to reintegrate into society as

well rounded and responsible individuals and this certainly begins with mental wellness.

Depression and anxiety can be so severe that they prevent basic functioning which makes it

nearly impossible to get up every morning and perform basic tasks let alone hold down a job

which further perpetuates homelessness. It is imperative that society begins to understand that
while some choose to be homeless for most individuals it is not a choice and it proves to be a

highly stressful situation. By providing homeless individuals the resources they need to establish

healthy coping mechanisms and promoting mental wellness we are providing them with the best

chance they have to successfully reintegrate back into society. Ventura County is doing their part

by ramping up mental health services for the homeless community. An article in the Ventura

County Star states, “Earlier this month, the Ventura City Council and Ventura County Board of

Supervisors voted to have a dedicated social worker proactively help connect homeless people

with services” (Ventura County Star). The county hopes that by providing mental health

resources and establishing relationships with the community they will improve the wellbeing of

homeless individuals as well as lower the amount of homeless individuals in our county.

Housing

The next factor that highly impacts the homeless community is limited affordable

housing. According to Livy Garcia, the residents of Rain Communities are what she calls the

“invisible homeless”. She explains that contrary to what many believe to be true about the

homeless population the residents in their program are not lazy or unmotivated individuals. They

are people who have fallen on hard times and simply cannot afford the cost of living without
some form of temporary assistance to get back on their feet. Rain Communities requires their

residents to have a full-time job and participate in a savings program that helps them establish

funds for permanent housing in the future, which they will certainly need in Ventura County.

The United States Census Bureau states that between 2014 to 2018, the median gross cost of rent

in Ventura County was $1,705 compared to $1012 nationwide. Livy explained that on average

families stay with their organization for about 12-13 months, not because they want to be there

but simply because they cannot afford housing and they need an extended period of time to find

affordable housing. According to the American Public Health Association, “In 2016 the National

Low Income Housing Coalition found that only 3.2 million affordable housing units were

available for the 10.4 million extremely low-income households in the United States” (APHA).

Unfortunately, affordable housing units in Ventura County are highly impacted and have waiting

lists that can surpass a year. In addition, it is especially challenging to find affordable housing in

Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley because there are fewer multifamily housing resources. As

mentioned before, the majority of the time homelessness is not a choice but rather a direct result

of unfortunate circumstances with one being lack of affordable housing. At the end of the day the

homeless population in Ventura County continue to be our peers and rather than passing

judgement or placing blame on them we need to find solutions for the growing problem in our

community.

Social Stigmas
 The final factor that Livy Garcia believes to influence the homeless population’s health is

the social stigmas that surround homelessness. During our interview she reiterated the fact that

the residents in their program do not fit the stereotype depicted by many homeless individuals.

Needless to say, there is nothing glamorous about homelessness. Subsequently our society

mostly turns a blind eye to the homeless population because we believe them to be deserving of

their situation based on their appearance or status. An article published by The University of

Queensland School of Psychology states the following, “Despite the fact that individuals who are

homeless are perceived as struggling and in need of care and compassion, there is also evidence

that homeless individuals are not perceived as fully human. Research has shown that homeless

people as a group are seen as neither competent nor warm, and thus form “the lowest of the low”.

This elicits the worst kind of prejudice – disgust and contempt – and can make people

functionally equivalent to objects” (Front. Psychol). The moment that we believe an individual’s

circumstances were a choice our feelings toward them dramatically shift from compassion to
disdain. This discrimination goes hand in hand with the previously mentioned issue of mental

health and perfectly illustrates the saying of “kicking a dog while he’s down”. A homeless

individual is less likely to feel motivated to better their situation if they are emotionally beat

down because of their status which can lead to depression and anxiety. Social stigmas not only

affect mental health but they also impose on potential job opportunities. A person is less likely to

be hired for a job if they look disheveled or weathered which results in loss of income. The lack

of opportunities based on judgement and social stigmas further perpetuate homelessness on many

levels. Rain Communities attempts to combat these lost opportunities by assisting their residents

in job searches and by providing transportation to and from the workplace.

In summary, there are many different aspects that affect the overall health and wellbeing

of the homeless population in Ventura County. My interview with Livy Garcia taught me to set

aside preconceived notions I might have regarding the homeless community that stem from fear

or judgement. Although society discriminates against the homeless community homelessness

does not discriminate against a specific gender, race, or age and it can affect anyone at any given

moment. Livy Garcia stated members of the homeless community include grocery store

employees, custodians, retail employees who work hard but sleep in their cars due because they

cannot afford the cost of living. Therefore, I will be more mindful and more compassionate the

next time I see a homeless person in my community.

Resources:

California Homelessness Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-

statistics/ca

Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). The homeless mentally ill. Retrieved from

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/The_homeless_mentally_ill
Housing and Homelessness as a Public Health Issue. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-

database/2018/01/18/housing-and-homelessness-as-a-public-health-issue

Johnstone, Melissa, Jetten, Jolanda, Dingle, A., G., … C., Z. (2015, May 18). Discrimination and

well-being amongst the homeless: the role of multiple group membership. Retrieved from

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00739/full

Martinez, A. (2019, September 29). Team effort with police, other services increases outreach to

Ventura's homeless. Retrieved from

https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/ventura/2019/09/28/ventura-

county-california-homeless-behavioral-health-services/2132438001/

Rode, E. (2020, March 11). Ventura County's homeless population increases by 4 percent, but

more people are sheltered. Retrieved from

https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2020/03/11/homeless-population-2020-ventura-

county-california-homelessness/5002000002/

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Ventura County, California. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/venturacountycalifornia