The Need
A homeless count conducted on a single day found that there were 4,157 homeless people countywide. Of those, 1,086 were individuals in families and 321 were children. As the economy sheds jobs and housing costs soar, a person earning the California minimum wage of $7.50 would have to work 128 hours a week or work 3.2 full-time jobs to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Contra Costa County.

   If you or someone you know is homeless, call the Crisis Line at (800) 799-6599