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Section III Context for Planning . People who are "homeless" include those who Limitations of the Data are living in the street, cars, and other places It is very difficult to collect accurate data on the not meant for people to live, and also people living in emergency shelters and transitional numbers of homeless individuals and families housing. and those at imminent risk of homelessness thus resulting in under estimating this population. . People who are "at-risk of homelessness" are Organized efforts to count homeless people often those who have housing but are at acute risk of overlook those who live in hidden places (e.g., losing their housing because they earn 30% of camping on the coastside, living in cars, or doubled Area Median Income (AMI) or below and pay up with friends or family) or who are "situationally" more than 50% of their income for rent. (Please homeless due to financial or other crisis. see Appendix J: Glossary for definition of AMI.) . Housing is safe, accessible, and affordable. The HOPE Planners researched and evaluated existing data sources and identified those that There is a significantly larger number of were the most rigorous and accurate to use as the households that are at-risk of homelessness basis for developing estimates of the homeless than those that are homeless. Of the estimated population in San Mateo County. 12,200 households that are homeless or at-risk of homelessness: (Additional information about the sources of data for the estimates of numbers of homeless people and people at-risk of homelessness, and the limitations of the data may be found in Appendix D, Charts D5 - D8.) C. Housing and Services Capacity and What is Needed in San Mateo County There is a significantly larger number of homeless Types of Housing and at-risk households that are single individuals There are four types of housing that are available and couples than households comprised of families in San Mateo County for people who are homeless with children. Of the 12,200 households that are or at-risk of homelessness. homeless or at-risk of homelessness: . Emergency Shelters provide short-term stays of up to 90 days. Shelters generally are congregate living arrangements and residents do not hold leases or pay rent. Shelters tend to be highly structured and have many rules, including times residents may come and go. Most San Mateo County shelters, however, allow residents to be on-site during the day to participate in day programs. On-site services at emergency shelters typically focus on crisis intervention, stabilization and obtaining a source of income. Shelters usually serve either single individuals Despite that families comprise 37% of households or families with children. that are homeless or are at-risk of homelessness, 65% of total individuals who are homeless and at- risk reside in families with children. 7