Why are there so many homeless people in the City now?

The causes of homelessness are many and complex and include large-scale socioeconomic factors as well as personal risk factors including mental illness, disability, and lack of a family or social network. Every year, during the third week of January, we do a count to determine how many homeless are in our community. Our numbers have not really increased; the homeless population has just moved to more visible areas due to the pressure of gentrification. As the riverfront has been developed, for example, the encampments along the river have had to move. We have also lost most of our short-term, residential housing in recent years. And housing prices have become prohibitive for more and more people.

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1. What is the City of Napa doing about homelessness?
2. How do we do this?
3. Who is responsible for dealing with homeless?
4. Why are there so many homeless people in the City now?
5. When should I call the police?
6. What if someone is endangering another person or appears to be in immediate danger or suffering a mental health crisis (seems very disoriented, is screaming, is destroying things)?
7. What if someone is harassing people walking by or obstructing entrance to a storefront?
8. What if I am concerned about a homeless encampment?
9. What is the best way to help the homeless?
10. What if someone is in need of clothing or shoes?
11. What if someone is hungry and asking for food or in need of a meal?
12. What if someone is homeless and in need of housing?
13. What if someone needs resources to stay in their current housing (security deposit, furniture, car repair funds, etc.)?
14. What if someone needs non-emergency medical attention?
15. What if someone is in need of mental health support?
16. What if someone is living on the street or in an encampment and needs general help?
17. What if a homeless person in not in the City of Napa, but elsewhere in Napa County?
18. What if a homeless person is a minor?
19. Who do I call if I see a someone being abused?
20. What success have we seen in Napa?