PD Editorial: The story of one; a tale of many

Few stories better capture the misperceptions and vulnerability of the estimated 2,900 people who live on the streets of Sonoma County than that of a single man - Josh Clark. For those interested in understanding more about one of the region’s most persistent social issues, Julie Johnson’s narrative of Clark’s life and death is a must read (“Tragic loss on streets,” Sunday).

At the age of 37, Clark had much going for him. Raised in San Rafael and Mill Valley, he benefited from good schools and was a UC San Diego graduate with a degree in political science. He also had a 9-year-old daughter and was known as charismatic and kind. But he, like many of us, had his burdens. Family members say he suffered from depression and struggled with his career. In addition, drinking problems landed with a DUI charge and, ultimately, contributed to him living on the streets.

But his friends and family say that he carried his reputation as someone who was engaging and caring into the homeless community of Santa Rosa. As a 20-year-old friend said of him, “I honestly think he spent half his day trying to figure out how to help everyone.”

But all that came to a tragic end on May 21 when Clark was viciously attacked at Rae Park, across the street from Santa Rosa City Hall, allegedly by a man who had wanted Clark to sell him marijuana. Police say Clark suffered extensive head injuries, and there were no signs of him trying to defend himself. He was pronounced dead five days later.

This brief summary doesn’t do justice to either Johnson’s story or to Clark’s life. But it captures the dilemma faced by many living on our streets. It also addresses three common myths about homelessness.

Myth No. 1: Sonoma County’s homeless are a threat to the general population. In reality, as the story of Josh Clark demonstrates, those living on the streets are far more likely to fall victim to criminal behavior - be it robbery or assault - than be the perpetrator of it.

Myth No. 2: Most local homeless are from outside the area or, even, out of state. In fact, the recently released Sonoma County Point-In-Time Homeless Census & Survey found that 82 percent of Sonoma County’s unsheltered population lived in the county prior to becoming homeless, and two out of three lived in the county for 10 or more years prior to becoming homeless. Thirteen percent reported coming from some other county in California while only 5 percent came from outside of the state.

Myth No. 3: Most of those living on the streets are chronically homeless. Not true. The census shows that less than 25 percent of the county’s unsheltered were chronically so, meaning they have been continuously homeless for a least a year and had experienced four or more episodes of homelessness within the past three years. Clark himself had been on the streets off and on for only about eight months. Nonetheless, those who are regarded as chronically homeless represent the hardest-to-reach population – and the most vulnerable.

As the report notes, “(The) mortality rate for those experiencing chronic homelessness is four to nine times higher than the general population.” Furthermore, existing data shows that the social costs incurred by this population, whether from emergency room visits, to arrests to regular access to emergency housing and social services, are “often significantly higher than the cost of providing individuals with permanent housing.”

Clark’s death leaves behind many questions. But one answer is clear: Housing changes lives - and sometimes saves them. It’s worth the cost.