Homelessness And Addiction Hand In Hand

Homelessness and addiction in Stanislaus County go hand in hand. In Stanislaus County, we have about 350,000 people addicted to drugs and alcohol. We have quite a few outpatient and inpatient services for drug and alcohol problems here in our county. These programs focus on promoting recovery from mental illnesses and things that have happened through them that have led them to become addicts throughout their life. In Stanislaus County, we have seen a significant rise in drug overdoses between 2020 and 2022. There have been a lot of fentanyl-related deaths. In Stanislaus County, amongst the homeless community, a large portion of the homeless community are drug addicts. Some are homeless because they are drug addicts, and some are drug addicts because they're lost.

There are resources and help for them here in our county, but unfortunately, there's not much. A lot of these homes have limited space and limited help. Between 2008 and 2012, there was quite a bit of support available for homeless women and children. Unfortunately, there's only one program left for women and children to live together due to a lack of funding. Getting help for their addictions and then being transitioned into a home where they can live and eventually be on their own feet with their own home is their goal. For the men, there is not a whole lot of help. Stanislaus County has one homeless shelter that will help them seek employment and give them the tools they need to gain that employment, but as far as placing them in homes, there is no home placement for the men unless they are a family. Stanislaus County does provide a lot of resources even with the lack of funding. If you want to get help, get a job, and get on your feet, the resources are there. You have to look for them, and you have to want to use them.