Where California ranks in helping homeless people the most: study
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 02: Homeless encampment is seen on a sidewalk in San Francisco, California, United States on September 2, 2023. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Homelessness is not a problem unique to California. A recent study from the nonprofit organization SmileHub was released on Tuesday, ranking the states that help those experiencing homelessness the most in 2024.
California ranked 21st overall, scoring high in certain components and low in others.
SmileHub made its decisions by comparing each state in several categories: shelters and housing support, homeless youth support, and food and health support.
Each category had several components the rankings were based on.
For food and health support, the report looked at states' drug abuse treatment facilities, healthcare centers for the homeless, and anti-homeless policies.
For shelters and housing support, SmileHub looked at the number of year-round beds per homeless population, public housing agencies, and the share of unsheltered homeless individuals.
For homeless youth support, states were ranked on the number of homeless children, the presence of laws to increase high school graduation rates for homeless children, and the presence of laws that allow minors to enter contracts for housing or shelter support.
California tied for first place with New York for the most charities supporting the homeless per capita. The other top five states included Ohio, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.
California tied for 47th place with Alabama, Arizona, and South Carolina in having the most anti-homeless policies, the study reported.
The Golden State ranked highly for the lowest share of homeless children, scoring third place.
California also ranked first in the homeless youth support category.
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Non-profit supporting Oakland foster youth with high quality housing
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According to the report, the top 10 states that help homeless people the most are:
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- North Dakota
- Maryland
- New York
- Indiana
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Wyoming
- Montana
This story was reported out of Oakland, Calif.