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San Diego wrapped up its Registry Week at a debriefing event this morning, and the results are ready to share.

Over the last week, nearly 250 volunteers from across the city covered 450 downtown blocks between the hours of 4am and 7am.  Through their combined efforts, they made contact with 1,040 homeless individuals, 740 of whom agreed to be surveyed using the Campaign’s Vulnerability Index. Of these, 275 are at high risk of mortality, while 183 are veterans and 187 are older than 55.

San Diego’s oldest survey respondent is 84. Its youngest respondent is just 15 years of age.

Over the next several months, public partners like the County of San Diego, the San Diego Housing Commission and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will work together to identify resources and begin securing housing and services for 125 of the most vulnerable homeless identified.

A matching grant announced today by Bank of America in San Diego will provide the first round of “move-in kits,” which include furniture and basic household wares. Local San Diego residents responded to Bank of America's gift by pledging an additional $53,000 to end homelessness in their community.

Who Are San Diego’s Homeless?

Homeless individuals surveyed in San Diego claimed a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Those who qualified as immediately vulnerable reported an average of eight years on the streets and an average age of 45. Among those found to be less vulnerable, the average length of homelessness was four years and the average age was 52.

A total of 119 respondents claimed a history of foster care, including 34 homeless individuals who remain under 25 years of age.

Heath Risks and Costs

Of the 740 people surveyed, 275 indicated physical health conditions associated with a high mortality risk. 133 of those are also coping with both mental illness and substance abuse.

It’s no surprise, then, that respondents reported a total of 589 visits to the emergency room over the last three months at an estimated cost of $1.8 million. When added to the 1,088 inpatient hospitalizations reported in the past year at an average estimated cost of $21,380, these results reveal a public healthcare cost of $25 million annually.

Supportive housing costs roughly $23,000 annually per individual and produces an average reduction in healthcare costs of 60% after one year. In other words, housing San Diego’s most frequent homeless users of healthcare services could lead to a yearly cost reduction of as much as $12 million.

Homeless Veterans

Twenty-five percent of all respondents said they were veterans, and 72% of those reported being honorably discharged. Seventy-seven veterans also qualified as immediately vulnerable.

As is typical, the largest group of veterans identified served in the Vietnam War, but at least six listed themselves as veterans of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps most staggering was the single individual who identified himself as a living veteran of World War II.

Violence and Traumatic Brain Injuries

In total, 263 of those surveyed reported being victims of a violent attack since becoming homeless. At 36%, this places San Diego above the national average to date of 31%.

Additionally, 115 respondents—16% of those surveyed— indicated that they had suffered a traumatic brain injury, again eclipsing the national average of 12 percent.

What’s Next?

Thanks to San Diego's incredible efforts as a community, hundreds of the city's homeless residents are now "on the radar" and on a path toward permanent housing.

San Diego’s Registry Week was a successful collaborative effort coordinated by the Downtown San Diego Partnership and Centre City Development Corporation in partnership with the United Way of San Diego, the County of San Diego, the Veterans Administration, and the San Diego Housing Commission. Over the next several months, these groups will continue to work together to identify resources, line up housing, and move people home, beginning with the 125 most vulnerable homeless identified.

You Can Help!

Please consider donating to this effort! Your money will be used to help vulnerable homeless individuals like those in San Diego off the streets and into permanent, supportive housing.