Manteca’s homeless problem — based on data collected from impacted individuals by local organizations working with the unsheltered and those in danger of ending up on the streets — appears to be significantly larger than the 88 homeless identified in the federally required “point in time” count.

Data compiled from Oct. 1, 2017 through Oct. 16, 2018 by collaborating Manteca agencies — HOPE Ministries shelter and outreach programs and Manteca Gospel Rescue Mission — dealing with homeless related issues shows that a homeless individual is just as likely to be female as male, are between the ages 25 and 54, are white, are not disabled, have a high probability of being a substance abuser, and do not meet the definition of being chronic homeless. Most of the homeless adults have no income and many at the time of the interview were residing in places not considered suitable for habitation.

That composite picture is drawn by data collected that indicated:

u620 people received services including those in emergency housing (HOPE Family Shelter, Raymus House) and transitional housing.

u181 additional and unduplicated unsheltered homes individuals in Manteca were seen through the street outreach efforts with PATH through the San Joaquin Mental Health, Allies (Behavioral Services Outreach program) and the Care Link (Community Medical Centers) outreach team.

According to Randy Pinnelli who works with the collaborative effort through Community medical Centers That reflects somewhere between 600 and 800 unduplicated homeless individuals in Manteca during the past year. Keep in mind that HOPE Shelters has been housing an average of 237 homeless – mostly children — annually since 2014. Not all of those that HOPE Family shelters and mentors are from Manteca.

If you take the unduplicated 181 unsheltered individuals and combine it with the number that HOPE shelters in a typical year, that reflects a minimum 425 that meet the strict definition of being without a shelter keeping in mind that HOPE is an emergency shelter for two to three months. The success rate for 2017 for HOPE clients finding permanent housing was 44 percent.

The 425 number is significantly higher than the 2017 “Point in Time” count required by the federal Housing and Urban Development during the last two weeks in January every two years in order for agencies to receive government funding. That count came to 88.

The HUD count is intended to be more of a snapshot than a precise count regardless of where it is conducted.

Based on interviews with the 620 people that received services from HOPE Family Shelters and the Manteca Gospel Rescue Mission in the 12-month period ending last week, the following picture of the homeless in Manteca is painted:

Almost a third of them were youth with 71 under 5 years of age, 94 from age 5 to 12, and 25 from age 13 to 17. Another 24 were aged 18 to 24.

More than half were age 25 to 54 with a breakdown of 115 age 25 to 24, 115 age 35 to 44, and 100 age 45 to 54.

59 were age 55 to 61 and 17 were 62 years of age or older.

51% or 314 were male and 49% or 306 were female. No one answered with other gender classification alternatives such as gender non-conforming, trans female or trans male.

78% or 484 were white. The rest of the breakdown was multiple races 11% or 67, Black or African American 6% or 35, American Indian or Native American 3% or 21, Native Hawaiian or Pacific islander 5, Asians, 3, and those that refused to answer or gave no answer was 5.

31% or 135 were disabled.

28 % or 90 had a chronic health condition.

None reported having HIV/AIDS.

25% or 158 reported having some type of mental health problems.

41% or 256 reported they did not have a substance abuse problem, 27% or 169 declined to give an answer, 16% or 100 abuse both drugs and alcohol, 11% or 69 abused drugs, and 4% or 25 abused alcohol.

73% or 319 were not chronic homeless while 27% or 117 were chronic homeless.

During the past three years 101 were homeless four or more times, 10 were homeless three times, 27 were homeless two times, and 244 were homeless once.

At the time of their interview 241 had been homeless 365 days or more and 158 less than 365 days.

The number of months homeless during the past three years were 241 for more than a year, 10 for 12 months, 5 for 11 months, 6 for 10 months, 3 for 9 months, 8 for 8 months, 7 for 7 months, 13 for six months, 10 for five months, 5 for four months, 13 for three months, 18 for two months, and 48 for one month.

5% or 20 were veterans.

Prior to staying at a shelter or being assisted 284 were living in a place not meant for habitation, 43 were in an emergency shelter including living in a motel paid for with a voucher, 19 were staying in a friend’s room/apartment/or house, 32 were staying in a relative’s room/apartment/or house, and the others were split between more than a dozen other arrangements running from a long-term care facility to jail.

Of those prior living arrangements 185 were for a year or longer, 81 for 90 days or more but less than a year, 63 for 30 to 90 days, 52 for a week to a month, 26 for two to six nights, and 14 for one night or less.

Among the adults 162 had no income, 51 had an annual income between $1,000 and $10,000, 43 between $10,000 and $20,000, 12 between $20,000 and $30,000, 3 between $30,000 and $40,000, and 3 between $40,000 and $50,000. Note that income reflects what a head of household parent is making who may be responsible for a number of children.

86% or 532 have valid Social Security numbers.