Hundreds of Persons with HIV/AIDS Continue to Live on the Streets and in Shelters in California according to Recent Homeless Counts
–The number of persons with HIV/AIDS counted as homeless in the United States in 2019 was half (50.4%) the number of persons with HIV/AIDS counted in 2005–
–In contrast, the number of persons with HIV/AIDS counted as homeless in California in 2019 was one and a half times (155.0%) of the persons counted in 2005–
Figure 1 shows the contrast between the number of persons with HIV/AIDS counted as homeless in the United States in 2019 and the number of persons with HIV/AIDS counted as homeless in California.
Figure 1. Number of persons with HIV/AIDS counted as homeless in the United States and California between 2005 and 2019.
The following map lists the number of persons with HIV/AIDS counted as homeless in California for each of the state’s 44 Continuums of Care (CoC).
Click here to download a pdf file of map
In general people living with HIV/AIDS are at a higher risk of homelessness than the general population. Some studies have indicated as many as half of individuals with HIV/AIDS are at risk of homelessness due to unaffordable housing costs and the high cost of medical care.
Homeless individuals with HIV/AIDS face considerable challenges in handling their health. Accessing healthcare and adhering to complex medical regimens is extremely difficult while living on the streets or in shelters.
Implications for Next Steps
Care coordination has been delineated well. 3 Steps for Developing Integrated Care Coordination for Homeless Individuals with HIV/AIDS involves creating an integrated care plan to identify the specific needs of the homeless person living with HIV/AIDS; engaging community providers; and utilizing technology which 4 Ways to Provide HIV/AIDS Housing & Healthcare to Homeless PLWHA describes in the following ways:
1. “Coordinate outreach efforts for persons living with HIV/AIDS;
2. Break down barriers through provider-client relationship;
3. Secure housing for persons living with HIV/AIDS;
4. Develop an individualized, integrated plan of care for PLWHA.”
Care coordination is more crucial for those CoCs that counted significantly more persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Table 1 notes that five of the 44 CoCs counted 1,926 or nearly three-fourths (73.4%) of the 2,622 persons living with HIV/AIDS throughout the state. The Los Angeles City and County CoC counted 1,221 or nearly half (46.6%) of the 2,622 persons living with HIV/AIDS throughout the state.
Table 1. CoCs that counted more than 100 persons living with HIV/AIDS.
| Continuum of Care: | 2019 Count | |
| CA-501 | San Francisco CoC | 243 |
| CA-502 | Oakland, Berkeley/Alameda County CoC | 207 |
| CA-600 | Los Angeles City & County CoC | 1,221 |
| CA-601 | San Diego City and County CoC | 149 |
| CA-602 | Santa Ana, Anaheim/Orange County CoC | 106 |
|
Total: |
1,926 | |
Table 2 shows that 18 of the 44 CoCs counted between 10 and 100 persons living with HIV/AIDS within their jurisdictions. Their total number of persons was 607 or nearly one-fourth (23.1%) of the 2,622 persons living with HIV/AIDS throughout the state.
Table 2. CoCs that counted between 10 and 100 persons living with HIV/AIDS.
| Continuum of Care: | 2019 Count | |
| CA-500 | San Jose/Santa Clara City & County CoC | 81 |
| CA-503 | Sacramento City & County CoC | 83 |
| CA-504 | Santa Rosa, Petaluma/Sonoma County CoC | 60 |
| CA-506 | Salinas/Monterey, San Benito Counties CoC | 24 |
| CA-508 | Watsonville/Santa Cruz City & County CoC | 29 |
| CA-510 | Turlock, Modesto/Stanislaus County CoC | 21 |
| CA-511 | Stockton/San Joaquin County CoC | 25 |
| CA-514 | Fresno City & County/Madera County CoC | 17 |
| CA-516 | Redding/Shasta County CoC | 11 |
| CA-519 | Chico, Paradise/Butte County CoC | 13 |
| CA-522 | Humboldt County CoC | 25 |
| CA-603 | Santa Maria/Santa Barbara County CoC | 10 |
| CA-606 | Long Beach CoC | 54 |
| CA-607 | Pasadena CoC | 24 |
| CA-608 | Riverside City & County CoC | 34 |
| CA-609 | San Bernardino City & County CoC | 47 |
| CA-611 | Oxnard, San Buenaventura/Ventura County CoC | 16 |
| CA-614 | San Luis Obispo County CoC | 33 |
|
Total: |
607 | |
The next table notes that nearly half, 21 or 47.7%, of the 44 CoCs counted less than 10 persons living with HIV/AIDS within their jurisdictions, which totaled 89 persons or 3.4% of the 2,622 persons living with HIV/AIDS throughout the state.
Table 3. CoCs that counted less than 10 persons living with HIV/AIDS.
| Continuum of Care: | 2019 Count | |
| CA-505 | Richmond/Contra Costa County CoC | 9 |
| CA-507 | Marin County CoC | 6 |
| CA-509 | Mendocino County CoC | 7 |
| CA-512 | Daly City/San Mateo County CoC | 3 |
| CA-513 | Visalia/Kings, Tulare Counties CoC | 7 |
| CA-515 | Roseville, Rocklin/Placer County | 4 |
| CA-517 | Napa City & County CoC | 1 |
| CA-518 | Vallejo/Solano County CoC | 9 |
| CA-520 | Merced City & County CoC | 9 |
| CA-521 | Davis, Woodland/Yolo County CoC | 2 |
| CA-523 | Colusa, Glen, Trinity Counties CoC | 0 |
| CA-524 | Yuba City/Sutter County CoC | 0 |
| CA-525 | El Dorado County CoC | 2 |
| CA-526 | Tuolumne, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa Counties CoC | 0 |
| CA-527 | Tehama County CoC | 3 |
| CA-529 | Lake County CoC | 0 |
| CA-530 | Alpine, Inyo, Mono Counties CoC | 4 |
| CA-531 | Nevada County CoC | 5 |
| CA-604 | Bakersfield/Kern County CoC | 6 |
| CA-612 | Glendale CoC | 7 |
| CA-613 | Imperial County CoC | 5 |
|
Total: |
89 | |