The city of Oxnard holds the largest Homeless persons population in the county. Since it is very hard to get an accurate number of the homeless population, we will use the one that was received in the year 2020. In the year 2020, we had a homeless persons population of around 567, according to the Homeless Count and Subpopulation Survey by the Continuum of Care Alliance.

Out of the 567 people, only 184 were sheltered, and 4 were going through transitional housing. That is 379 people who go unsheltered.

These people have to sleep in the streets. Some nights they have to face temperatures of 40 degrees, and some days temperatures up to 90 and higher, with little cover or little shade.

On top of these grueling conditions, they are dehumanized. People have this idea of homelessness as a dirty condition in which people choose to be, and since “they chose to be,” we shouldn’t care for them. 

So, if they chose to be this way, why don’t they just get a job? Well, they, simply put, cannot get jobs. This is why:

1. They don’t have a permanent address, and most jobs require a permanent address before they can even get through the door.
2. Limited to no contact information; employers need to have a form of contact between themselves and the employee.
3. Many do not have reliable transportation or any transportation at all. This can come about from many factors such as having no vehicle or public transportation being absolutely redundant or unreliable.

There are many more factors upon these such as limited showers, limited clothing, criminal records, mental/physical disabilities, or addictions.

You might be wondering, what are some solutions to combat the issue of homelessness? I believe that we should first treat them as people, instead of them being constantly dehumanized by businesses, pedestrians, and our cities. We must keep in mind that they are humans, not some feral animals. 

Let’s push for our local governments to support these people. Get institutions in place to help in need of mental health help. What are their options now? Cover their physical health care. Get them desirable housing. Install programs to help with addiction. Have programs to better resumes. Above all remember that these are everyday people like you and me. Get out there and help by advocating for those who need it most.