Why is Bethany Needed?
Women are referred to Bethany from short-term shelters throughout Southern California. Because these emergency or domestic violence shelters usually have a 30-60 day residency limit, they do not provide enough time for most homeless women to increase their income or emotional stability to the level required for independent living. Without additional support, they often return to homelessness or an abusive partner simply because they lack viable alternatives.
The majority of Bethany residents first became homeless because they left abusive living situations. Others have become homeless due to addiction, mental health issues (depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc.), illness, divorce, or job loss. One thing that all of our residents have in common is that they can not afford to live independently. Typically our residents have limited educations and job skills which prohibit them from earning enough money to afford permanent housing.
According to the most recent 2010 Orange County Community Indicators Report, the hourly wage needed to afford rent on a one-bedroom unit here rose from $24.92 in 2009 to $25.69 in 2010. This Housing Wage is equivalent to an annual income of $53,440. When they come to Bethany, many of our residents are only earning minimum wage – equaling out to just $16,640 annually – less than half of the minimum amount required to live independently.
