National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness is an annual program where people come together across the country to draw attention to the crisis of hunger and homelessness. Join Housing is a Human Right OC during November and December for a series of educational and advocacy events in Orange County.
Longest Night Memorial is National Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day (December 21, 2023) where we remember and say the names of those throughout Orange County’s homeless community who have died from December 2022 – November 2023.
Purple Flags displays are set-up at various locations throughout Orange County. The purple flag displays memorialize and represent the over 500 unhoused infants, children, seniors, disabled, and veterans who died over the past 12 months while trying to survive living on the streets throughout Orange County. HHROC encourages you to ask your elected officials to do a better job and #BeHonest about the harsh environmental stressors the most vulnerable face in Orange County, the 7th wealthiest county in the United States. Additionally, the OC Sheriff Coroner’s list of names of our deceased sisters and brothers is sadly incomplete as the list does not provide the names of unhoused people who died while in hospitals, transitional shelters, or whose body was claimed by family. These people deserve to be recognized and remembered as well.
Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck. The struggle to keep the basic needs fulfilled is a daily obstacle. It takes only one misstep – an illness, injury, or temporary job loss – to place many of us on the path to poverty, hunger, even homelessness. In the United States, 43.1 million Americans live below the poverty level. Of those, 1 in 5 are children living in poverty. On any given night, there are between 500,000 – 600,000 people experiencing homelessness in the United States.
Homelessness kills. Affordable housing saves lives:
- More than 500 unhoused people…including infants, children, seniors, disabled, and veterans have/will have died while trying to survive living on the streets throughout Orange County.
- The OC Board of Supervisors control and sets their priorities for a $1 Billion discretionary budget, but has not committed any of it to affordable housing to help save lives and end homelessness.
- If 4 or more of the OC Supervisors vote for it, a bond measure can be placed on an upcoming ballot to raise funds for more very low-income, low-income, and affordable housing and permanent supportive housing.
Did you know?
#TheRentIsTooDamnHigh!
Orange County’s high cost of housing is the main driver of poverty, houselessness, and hunger in our communities:
- Orange County is now the 5th most expensive urban area in the United States, largely due to the cost of housing.
- The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is now $2,113
- In September 2023, Orange County home prices rose by 13.7% compared to last year.
- Currently, the median price for single family housing is $1.1 Million.
- One-in-four children in Orange County live in poverty.
- One-third of seniors in Orange County are food insecure.
- Chronic homelessness in Orange County almost quadrupled between 2015 – 2019.
- Since 2018 over 2148 unhoused people have died while trying to survive living on the streets of Orange County.
- The current life expectancy in the United States is 71.1 years of age but the life expectancy for unhoused people is 29 years shorter.
Looking For A Way To Get Involved?
RAISE AWARENESS: Contact us at: [email protected] to host a purple flag display through December. Each purple flag represents neighbors who have died this year while unhoused. OR…host an action or educational event in your community.
EDUCATE: Share this website with your family, friends, and community.
ADVOCATE: Join HHROC at he OC Board of Supervisors meeting on December 19th, where we tell the Supervisors #HousingSavesLives and ask them #WhatsThePlan?
HOW TO OBSERVE #HungerHomelessAwareness
Volunteer. Donate. Organize. All or any of these actions can help make a difference in a life. Spread the word about hunger and homelessness and how to help. Find out who and what your local organizations are. Use #HungerHomelessAwarenessWeek to share on social media.
For more info: https://hhweek.org/
