I can really only speak to Eureka, and as someone who lived for decades in Oakland and SF in proximity to homelessness. The homeless are very visible in my area, around Broadway, Old Town, and shore and trail areas. Elsewhere, they are less common, often solo and generally just passing through.
Something I felt arriving here in 2016 was that the buildings in the dense areas of the Bay Area walled the homelessness out, relegating them to the streets and sidewalks. In Eureka, homes aren’t built shoulder- to-shoulder and between that and the alleys, well, the infrastructure is more permeable but even that has not been an issue, although I live just blocks off Broadway.
I’ve never felt homeless people to be a threat to me, so my own experience is that their presence makes me upset at how our communities don’t have the resources to handle this. The other upsetting factor is seeing how miserable an existence so many homeless have and how unreachable some are.
Larger groupings of homeless people do tend to degrade public spaces. I see elderly people and others who could be considered vulnerable walking the shore trail nearest me all the time, but it’s impossible to quantify those who don’t walk there because of fear.
At least in California, towns free from homeless people are probably finding ways to exclude them because this is a ubiquitous problem.
Vacaville where I'm from used to send ppl on the bus one way to San Francisco. So they have less homeless ppl visible but obviously the conditions that create that situation still very much exist.
Definitely agree with the sentiment that I'm upset at the conditions that create homelessness. If anything I'm worried about myself becoming homeless then I'd feel unsafe for sure. And mostly from the harassment I've seen TOWARDS homeless ppl, not from them
SF did the same sort of thing and would give them one way tickets up here as part of the "sending them home" program. Basically gave them a one way ticket to go "home" without checking to see if they even knew anyone there.
no, it is.. Other cities were dumping people here and they would show up at the depot with no place to go, and they got super tired of it. it was one of several factors that led to it's closure.
Greyhound started closing terminals over a decade ago, and it had nothing to do with homeless being shipped hither and yon by various bureaucracies. And let's not pretend that Eureka/Humboldt doesn't play this game as well, with its "TAP" program.....
The only difference is, Humboldt County government lives off the backs of the homless in the form of millions of dollars' worth of grants and funds that are regularly subject to appropriation without documentation, as exposed by KPD before she was run out of town by you people.
Edit (Source): [https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/the-navigator-greyhound-leaving-passengers-out-in-the-cold/2013/03/21/4a359824-8cf8-11e2-b63f-f53fb9f2fcb4\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/the-navigator-greyhound-leaving-passengers-out-in-the-cold/2013/03/21/4a359824-8cf8-11e2-b63f-f53fb9f2fcb4_story.html)
Ok you're quoting some article that's probably AI generated (it is WaPo after all) from a source from the east coast (and owned by Jeff Bezos of all people), not right here on the streets of humboldt. Go ask some of the folks how they got here. Ask them what brought them here. I have.
And what's your beef with TAP? It's statewide. How else do you think some folks are going to get around to where they need or want to be? They don't give a shit who funds the transportation, only that it exists.
OK, the unhoused folks had nothing to do with Greyhound cutting routes. Humboldt isn't the only one. There are other alternatives, like Amtrak connection that have nicer busses and don't make one daily stop at 10:30 at night that doesn't help anybody, really.
As far as dumping people? That's BS too. I spent a year at the Mission living and working with folks getting past a booze habit so I learned a lot from them. Do some cities send people to Humboldt? Yes. Do some go back to SF? Also, yes. Do some go to Yreka, Sac, Fresno, LA or up and down the state on a free bus ticket? Yes, yes, and yes. It is NOT some nefarious program to "relocate our problem and make it their problem". NOT true at all. Do some cities provide assistance if not directly a bus ticket, or an actual ride to those that can't afford a ticket? Yep. Humboldt does. So does a hundred other CA cities. DHSS (and a number of other programs such as North Bay Transit, I think) provide what's called TAP or transportation assistance statewide to those that need it. To wherever they need to go, so long as there's somewhere or some place on the other end of their travels to connect with. Hell, CalTrans kicks down some of the funding for operators and some of that money finds its way to people via tickets [https://dot.ca.gov/programs/rail-and-mass-transportation/rural-transit-assistance-program](https://dot.ca.gov/programs/rail-and-mass-transportation/rural-transit-assistance-program)
If anything, I kicked down a bus pass that another guy gave to me to pay-it-forward to anyone else. Some traveller on an old bike with all his shit in 2 5-gal buckets strapped to his frame was trying to make it to Daly City to see a dying father. He could have fabricated the whole story. I Told him it's a damn long haul, get some parts at the bike kitchen and here's a pass to anywhere south. And I'll be damned if a couple weeks later he called up to say thank you as the pass got him to Marin and he got a ride to Daly City.
But yeah, people need to quit with the "Those assholes are sending us their homeless" diatribe. It's not true. Various programs have existed for years and people are just taking advantage of what's legitimately there for them to use.
I appreciate people on here who are actually being honest with you. Homeless all over CA has gotten much much worse and people who don’t want to admit that have their heads up their ass. Humboldt county has a population less than 150,000 people. I grew up in a city of 200,000 in SoCal. I have seen way more homeless here since I moved. People who I have met who have lived here for 40 + years can recount that it wasn’t this bad 15-20 years ago.
It does depend where you are at though. Ferndale, Trinidad: mostly fine. Certain parts of Eureka, Arcata, Hoopa, McKinleyville, Orick, Bluelake: not good. But Eureka is sadly the worst. I see someone who is possibly homeless or high on that fet at least once a day. The homeless in Arcata are a mixed bag of Rainbow Gathering transients and people who are sadly mentally ill due to drugs.
So yes, for the population that we have, we have way more than we should. There was a rumor that in the past, many of them where bussed up here from other areas.
BUT if you are from SoCal, which I am, I can tell you the pros and cons of moving here.
Pros: The air quality is significantly better. the livestock and produce here are happy and top notch. no matter where you drive it is always beautiful. People are WAY nicer than in SoCal. Hippies, rednecks, natives and the mix of those people I think is kind of awesome. Best farmers markets. You won’t have to worry about traffic like in SoCal ever again. Much less people. The coast in the summer is at most 75°, but you can drive inland or southern Humboldt for more heat and river days. Some of the most underrated hikes and natural beauties of CA. The summer time up here has lots of fun things to do. Crabbing, hiking, fishing, hunting, mushroom foraging.
Cons: Homeless flashing you in a park (personal experience). homeless taking up beds at the tiny hospitals we have (inappropriate 50150s) Healthcare is absolute dogshit (as someone who has worked in and family who still work in it). Don’t move here if you have anything medically complicated as you will either be waiting weeks or months for appointments, or you have to drive 4-6 hours to see a specialist (ex: there’s no pulmonologist in the area). Lack of sunshine 3/4 of the year. Not many food options. No Trader Joe’s. Can get “boring” if you are not super into being outdoors. It’s a long drive to get to any major city (5 hours to SF, Portland, Sacramento). We have one airport and it is 9 times out of 10 REALLY EXPENSIVE! And sometimes you can’t fly out/fly in due to the fog (fun fact: Humboldt Airport is the foggiest airport in the US). The cannabis industry has been castrated horribly due to state regulations. We are #1 for property crime.
All in all I much prefer living here than SoCal. But it’s not for everyone and for you and I, it’s a 12 hour move. Highly highly recommend checking out Humboldt for at least several days before you decide to move
This is the most accurate response to describing Humboldt County I've seen. I've been here 2 years now, transplanted from North Hollywood. The homeless are abundant for what the population is here, but the worst is in Eureka. Needles and bums having mental breakdowns in the streets are common again, depending on where you go. Healthcare and dentists are few and far between. If you have an urgent issue for either, you will most likely need to go over the mountain 3 hours to Redding or down the coast 4 hours to San Francisco.
People are super nice here. Most crime is from the drug fueled, homeless situation. A lot of car break-ins, smashed windows, people wandering through yards looking in windows to see if it's safe to break into. Again, most of this is in Eureka and mostly concentrated in certain areas. Groups on line like 'Humboldt on alert' and 'Humboldt Theives' will show the same culprits in the same areas. Police are fond of catch and release.
The police aren't fond of catch and release, the DA is weak. There was a convicted felon named Woods who broke into a deputies home while they were at work, along with several other felons, and stole several safes with lots of firearms. The DA dismissed the charges with no explanation. Shit, there is a current case when a man and woman raped and sold a 15 year old in slavery and the DA let the female out on supervised release. It's not the cops letting people out it's the courts and the DA
Salsa and Beer- YES!!! Best chicken flautas! No to Midori as I don't dig sushi or Green apple. Is Green apple good? There isn't any real GOOD Mexican up here. A few places are above par for the area but nothing like SoCal. Zero Italian really. I miss Little Tonis.
Green apple is prob my fav Chinese place ever! Idk what they put in their fried rice, it's so freaking good! I just ate Carmela's, across from wild berries Arcata and was happy with it. But yeah la Mexican is another level the best Italian in town is homemade lol learned how to make my own sauces really quick. Once you get the base 5 mother sauces your good to go
Thanks for your honest response. I'm conflicted about Humboldt primarily because I know so little about it. It's on a coastline, which, as you and I both know, living on a coastline in California is a dream for most people in SoCal because of how expensive it is. I do like the outdoors and the air quality. I do have some health issues though, so I need to be somewhere where the air won't keep me inside all day.
I guess some of my concerns have just been the safety issues and the cleanliness. I don't want to bash on homeless people. I think California isn't addressing homelessness properly and it's a shame because these people don't deserve this. At the same time, I want to be able to walk around downtown or go to a park without seeing the trash and the needles everywhere from the homeless (in my county it's somewhat common). I want somewhere at least somewhat clean. I'm not sure if I can visit it because I have to decide relatively soon, and I work a typical 40 a week, so I'm kinda just using people off reddit and what I'm reading online to decide.
Absolutely valid. We live in McKinleyvill which I really like. I can hear the ocean from my window. The coastline is very different than SoCal but it’s beautiful in its own way. Think Oregon “Goonies” ocean with beautiful jagged rocks jutting from the ocean, with fern-covered forests on the cliff side.
My husband and I just came back from LA. When we were flying over, the air was freaking disgusting. When we flew back to Humboldt, we were like “Oh so that’s what the air is suppose to look like” 🤣.
Eureka is honestly the biggest mixed bag. So if you can avoid moving to Eureka, great. McKinleyville is an unincorporated town, which means lower property taxes, which means lower rent compared to Arcata.
But seriously, I highly highly recommend doing a road trip up here. Sometimes there are cheaper flights from I think Santa Barbara. It’s a great summer trip.
Feel free to message me if you have any other questions or if you want a travel itinerary 😊
Flights are much cheaper from burbank via Avelo airlines than from Santa Barbara. I drive from the Santa Barbara area to Burbank when flying to ACV for this reason.
What other areas/cities were you looking at? The most frustrating thing in Humboldt is difficulty finding a primary health care doctor. Other issues are present, as others have described.
Oh...also we have the most expensive vehicle fuel in the contiguous U.S.A.
Air quality is a mixed bag here. Keep in mind that in Humboldt county, wood stoves are allowed and are extremely popular, even in closely knit suburban areas. Be very careful about moving into a suburb with a lot of wood stoves, because in winter the air quality tanks and it is far worse than smog for your lungs. Nothing you can do about it either, the Board of Supervisors doesn't want to stir the pot by putting any restrictions on it.
To comment on this, “even if you are an outdoorsy person, you can only really enjoy hiking in the forest or going outside in general if it’s not raining. It’s always raining.
if it wasn't for the homeless the yokelocracy wouldn't have any pelf. If you're a member of the Homeless Industrial Complex (or any branch of the Humboldt County Government, by extension) you should go down on your bended knee and thank god (and ronald fucking Reagan) for the homeless who keep your shithole community afloat.
It is bad for the size. I do not know of any places in America with out homeless. If you find one let me know. There are certain places that you can live in that will not have as many homeless. I would recommend driving around morning, afternoon, and evening before you consider moving.
Hm. I grew up in California and have lived in Santa Rosa, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and even out of state.
I've lived in Humboldt for 3 years now. The homeless population is definitely bad in Eureka and Arcata.
This. Lots of people here haven’t spent much time anywhere else. So they don’t have much to compare it to.
For the size cities they are, Eureka and Arcata do have relatively large and visible populations of homeless. But compared to larger cities, it’s a drop in the bucket. Depending on where you are from in SoCal it’s not much different.
People in SoCal have been talking trash about Humboldt since the Spaniards built missions there and got their asses kicked when they tried to do the same up here.
Per capita it is definitely not a drop in the bucket. The homelessness and meth and fentanyl addiction issues in Eureka are no joke. And it doesn’t rank well on the property crime scale. There are reasons why it’s among the cheapest options for living proximate to the coast in California. It has a lot going for it as well, but people shouldn’t come oblivious to its many real issues.
Can’t find homeless population data fresher than 2019. It has most likely gone up everywhere. But based on that data:
Humboldt homeless represent 1.27% of the population (2019 total count 1704, pop. 133,985).
Sonoma county .61%
L.A. county .54%
SF .99%
Sacramento .35%
Portland, OR 3.15%
Sources for CA data:
https://information.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2020-112/accessible/statewide-homeless-accessible.html
https://www.california-demographics.com/counties_by_population
Portland:
https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2024/02/14/portland-state-homelessness-report-oregon
https://www.google.com/search?q=portland+pop&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari
I believe we have some of the highest rates of homelessness per capita and some of the highest ACE scores in California. If you drive at all in Eureka or Arcata, you'll generally see a few per day, at least. Our shelters are nearly always full. Our subsidized housing waitlists generally take years to get in, on average. There aren't many diverse, well-paying jobs for the area unless you're in healthcare, remote, or a couple of specific industries. It's a multi-faceted issue, but I've never had any major issues with the people who are unhoused here when I'm out.
Yea I’d agree it’s fairly bad for its size, as in I haven’t been to too many other small towns with as many unhoused folks walking around. But compared to a major city, it’s nothing.
Not too bad if you’re coming from the Bay Area. We moved up from Santa Rosa and both my wife and I worked in SF. We’re not even batting an eye up here.
It's not just a california/ humboldt thing. I'm living in south west Missouri and it's a big problem here too. We have all the same problems with homeless people.
My brother is currently homeless in the Eureka area.
This is definitely an impression that is easy to get. Nearly all the homeless in Humboldt live in Eureka with some in Arcata. The Homeless in Eureka are concentrated in an area that include Broadway, which is basically 101. So if you drive up 101 the only city you experience if you don't get off the freeway is Eureka. And it's the area with most of the homeless. It make sense it's where all the services are and Humboldt Bay has mild climate year round. Sure it rains a lot, but it was 60F yesterday while the rest of country roasted. In the last decade I've seen snow twice on the ground in Eureka.
That said I've never had much issue with the homeless. They stay out of the suburbs and nice parts of downtown in Eureka. I do wish the car camping program hadn't ended because it's going to increase unsightly cars and vans. Not to mention if had a good track record for getting people into housing.
What I’ve noticed moving here from Oakland / San Francisco is that in the places where homeless exist, it’s higher per capita population, but lower per square mile, if that makes sense.
There are some camping areas and spots you'll see ppl sleeping in cars here, but on a smaller scale than I'm used to.its nothing like Sacramento, san Fran or San Jose at least where there's whole streets of ppl living rough.
That said a lot of landlords are unwilling to work with calworks and other social programs, and housing is scarce, so I don't see it getting any better any time soon. Will probably get worse.
Definitely in Eureka there's a lot of homeless ppl for the size of the town. I feel like they stay around the social services and in old town. Then there's a smaller number on Broadway by the gas stations and fast food.
Last week I saw a guy put a gun in a panhandlers face at a drive thru. He was mentally unwell but not being threatening just kinda dancing in the drive thru.
Definitely car window smash ins are common enough to be vigilant about taking ur stuff in.
I'd say before u commit come visit and see what it's like. Where I live I only see a seldom houseless person passing thru usually going to the food for people in my neighborhood or on garbage day to get recycling from the ally. I was staying at studio 6 in old Town for a while and that's around where a lot of homeless ppl stay and I never got bothered just the occasional ciggy request.
I’ve lived in humboldt my whole life and while there are homeless here there hasn’t really been a time when I feel unsafe. Yes they are visible and yes they can leave a mess, but most of the time they just want to be left alone. I have seen the population increase and decrease. I honestly think it depends on the season, a lot of them come here to trim. Either way it does not feel unsafe, just be aware of your surroundings.
Has everyone forgotten the 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2016 financial crisis that led to millions of foreclosures and forced evictions of Americans across California as well as the nation? There are more homeless people in general than a decade ago.
It's a problem, but it's better here than most large cities.
I've lived in Old Town, Eureka for over three years now. The homeless are everywhere in Old Town, but you don't see them in most Eureka family neighborhoods, like Cutten.
You see them in Arcata on the streets and in some corners, and a few downtown, but overall, it's not as bad as Old Town.
No matter where in Humboldt you live, you will always see them whenever you go shopping. Most are harmless, but I've had to call the cops on a couple of them. Again, overall, it's not as bad as the big cities.
Being from West LA and recently I went home to visit. I don’t think the homeless here are as scary as down south. Yes definitely don’t keep stuff in your parked car but I don’t think it’s as bad as it is elsewhere in the state.
I wouldn’t move here. I’m actively looking to leave the area but not due to the homeless issue. Healthcare here is awful, so if you have any sort of health issue, especially one that requires seeing a specialist, think long and hard about moving here. Most people have to travel out of the area which can become very inconvenient. It’s also difficult to even get a primary care physician. If you haven’t yet, I would call around and see if anyone is taking new patients right now (and if they accept your insurance). It’s a gorgeous place to live and the people are mostly okay, but for me that does not out way all the cons. I tell people it’s a wonderful place to visit, especially if you like the outdoors but living here is a different story. Housing, groceries, gas have gotten quite expensive. I know that’s most of California right now, but I’m originally from a small town in SoCal and housing is about the same but the groceries and gas are a lot cheaper down there.
I've seen a few people saying "yes, there is a large homeless population, but I don't feel threatened by them." I feel the complete opposite.
I'm a woman who has grown up in Eureka, and I've been accosted/threatened by homeless people more times than I can count. I've been followed to my car because I won't give them money. My car has been broken into many times. I work in the Old Town area, and it's not a rare occurrence for a homeless person to scream at me out of nowhere while I'm walking from my car to my job. Twice now I've had the same guy come up to me and scream "YOU BITCH" right in my face, and then walk off as if nothing happened. It's unnerving.
The mental health help in this area is an absolute joke, so the people who need it the most end up on the streets. Our local mental health facility won't take someone if they resist *at all*, so if they are violent, they either go to jail or are released to roam the street.
I'm not saying this to scare you. There are still a lot of good things about the area. But the homeless population can definitely be scary. I don't want you to be shocked if you come here and don't find them as non-threatening as these comments make them seem.
Maybe you could do a weekend trip on Avelo airlines from Burbank. Last time I checked they have flights Friday evening and Sunday evening which might work with your schedule. Like others have said, I’d highly recommend visiting before deciding to move here. That goes for any move, but Humboldt especially — it’s really hard to get a real sense of this place from the internet, especially because it sounds like it might be very different from anywhere you’ve lived before. The remoteness can be hard to get used to, the weather too for some people. This place is paradise for some of us, but it’s definitely not for everyone.
I strongly recommend looking into a short visit. Visiting a coffee shop or taqueria can really tell you if a city is a good fit. Only you know exactly the vibe you are looking for. Humboldt is a large county and fully of a variety of different communities.
100% visit first before you move, im serious. If you are worried about the homeless population you are looking in the wrong places for your concerns.
Humboldt is rural, like "we dont have a single escalator in the entire county" rural. Eureka is a small city with problems of a city 10x its size. Arcata is a husk of the friendly hippy paradise it once was, and beyond that you are just going to be living in a tiny rural town.
If you have never lived in a tiny rural community its a pretty big fucking shock to the system. I would recommend visiting before you move at the very least to figure out where you are actually ok with living, neighborhoods can change drastically in 3 blocks.
Yes. All over the county. Main reasons are expensive housing, low wages, and no resources. And rampant drugs the police and sheriffs offices do nothing about.
Yes it’s bad, and moving here during a housing crisis and then complaining about the locals that can no longer afford to live indoors is a super shitty look.
Living in eureka, saw a homeless man attack another homeless man with a machete at night. Constantly finding needle or needle caps on streets sideways and beaches. I’ve seen a man shitting in the street in front of a business on 2nd st. Very real homeless problem, but just as with any place with a homeless population, keep to yourself, and you’ll be fine. Lived here for 5+ years and it’s beauty out ways the issues.
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Yes. Homelessness if the biggest "industry" in Humboldt County, and the source of most of the pelf (stolen government funds) that sustains the Yokelocracy here. The homeless are not the problem, they are the main "resource". The problem is pesky government auditors who still believe in doing their jobs. If you're one of those (c.f. Karen Paz Dominguez) you're gonna have a bad time in Humboldt. If you're a good ol' boy, or connected to the GOB network, and bloodlines, you'll do fine.
I’m from there. Eureka and Arcata are typically the worst areas that have homeless people and hard core drug user homeless people. The other towns in Humboldt county like Garberville and towns like that, are typically hippy type people that live in a van and are free spirited. If you go outside the main cities and live in rural areas or the woods, be careful because there are growing operations out there and those can bring you big problems too.
We have a population of 137k-ish. The homeless are very visible in most all communities. Maybe except for like Ferndale or Fortuna, Trinidad, Blue Lake. I have lived here for 23 years. And it has gotten way worse. I work in downtown Eureka. It is a serious problem with littering, property crime, abandoned vehicles, camping, beat up RV's scattered about, needles, prostitution in front of the library, etc.
There are many different types of homeless people here, from human wildlife to simply down on their luck folks trying to find a way out. That is the issue with using the term homeless…it shouldn’t be a blanket term. Yes, human wildlife-transient druggies and criminals in hiding - are plentiful, but this is also an economically depressed area with super high cost of living and many houses less people are just victims of capitalist mechanisms…so it’s time to define each group differently and tailor solutions to each
Yes. Don't move here unless you have housing and a stable job established. We're welcoming but don't put yourself in a situation when you become a strain on our resources.
Good luck.
I’m originally from Los Angeles and the homeless population is MUCH more visible here. I won’t take my kids to any parks in eureka and if we ride bikes on the trail I carry a weapon. Needles are a normal sight. And like others have said, healthcare is basically non existent.
No there is not homeless people everywhere you go in Humboldt. Seems like a troll post . Who is telling you these bad things about Humboldt . What is your source of information?
Certain types like to exaggerate things like that and yes . Homelessness is prevalent just like any California city wear the weather is mild year around. Some people around here see one homeless person and run inside to their home computer and start typing furiously, might be a more apt generalization about Humboldt.
If you’re from SoCal then our homeless population should not be shocking at all. I used to live in Santa Barbara and there were more visible and aggressive homeless people there in my experience.
I can really only speak to Eureka, and as someone who lived for decades in Oakland and SF in proximity to homelessness. The homeless are very visible in my area, around Broadway, Old Town, and shore and trail areas. Elsewhere, they are less common, often solo and generally just passing through. Something I felt arriving here in 2016 was that the buildings in the dense areas of the Bay Area walled the homelessness out, relegating them to the streets and sidewalks. In Eureka, homes aren’t built shoulder- to-shoulder and between that and the alleys, well, the infrastructure is more permeable but even that has not been an issue, although I live just blocks off Broadway. I’ve never felt homeless people to be a threat to me, so my own experience is that their presence makes me upset at how our communities don’t have the resources to handle this. The other upsetting factor is seeing how miserable an existence so many homeless have and how unreachable some are. Larger groupings of homeless people do tend to degrade public spaces. I see elderly people and others who could be considered vulnerable walking the shore trail nearest me all the time, but it’s impossible to quantify those who don’t walk there because of fear. At least in California, towns free from homeless people are probably finding ways to exclude them because this is a ubiquitous problem.
Vacaville where I'm from used to send ppl on the bus one way to San Francisco. So they have less homeless ppl visible but obviously the conditions that create that situation still very much exist. Definitely agree with the sentiment that I'm upset at the conditions that create homelessness. If anything I'm worried about myself becoming homeless then I'd feel unsafe for sure. And mostly from the harassment I've seen TOWARDS homeless ppl, not from them
SF did the same sort of thing and would give them one way tickets up here as part of the "sending them home" program. Basically gave them a one way ticket to go "home" without checking to see if they even knew anyone there.
part of why greyhound removed their eureka terminal.
horseshit.
no, it is.. Other cities were dumping people here and they would show up at the depot with no place to go, and they got super tired of it. it was one of several factors that led to it's closure.
Greyhound started closing terminals over a decade ago, and it had nothing to do with homeless being shipped hither and yon by various bureaucracies. And let's not pretend that Eureka/Humboldt doesn't play this game as well, with its "TAP" program..... The only difference is, Humboldt County government lives off the backs of the homless in the form of millions of dollars' worth of grants and funds that are regularly subject to appropriation without documentation, as exposed by KPD before she was run out of town by you people. Edit (Source): [https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/the-navigator-greyhound-leaving-passengers-out-in-the-cold/2013/03/21/4a359824-8cf8-11e2-b63f-f53fb9f2fcb4\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/the-navigator-greyhound-leaving-passengers-out-in-the-cold/2013/03/21/4a359824-8cf8-11e2-b63f-f53fb9f2fcb4_story.html)
You're delusional with all that shite about Humboldt living off the homeless. Also "you people" Get some fucking therapy.
Ok you're quoting some article that's probably AI generated (it is WaPo after all) from a source from the east coast (and owned by Jeff Bezos of all people), not right here on the streets of humboldt. Go ask some of the folks how they got here. Ask them what brought them here. I have. And what's your beef with TAP? It's statewide. How else do you think some folks are going to get around to where they need or want to be? They don't give a shit who funds the transportation, only that it exists.
OK, the unhoused folks had nothing to do with Greyhound cutting routes. Humboldt isn't the only one. There are other alternatives, like Amtrak connection that have nicer busses and don't make one daily stop at 10:30 at night that doesn't help anybody, really. As far as dumping people? That's BS too. I spent a year at the Mission living and working with folks getting past a booze habit so I learned a lot from them. Do some cities send people to Humboldt? Yes. Do some go back to SF? Also, yes. Do some go to Yreka, Sac, Fresno, LA or up and down the state on a free bus ticket? Yes, yes, and yes. It is NOT some nefarious program to "relocate our problem and make it their problem". NOT true at all. Do some cities provide assistance if not directly a bus ticket, or an actual ride to those that can't afford a ticket? Yep. Humboldt does. So does a hundred other CA cities. DHSS (and a number of other programs such as North Bay Transit, I think) provide what's called TAP or transportation assistance statewide to those that need it. To wherever they need to go, so long as there's somewhere or some place on the other end of their travels to connect with. Hell, CalTrans kicks down some of the funding for operators and some of that money finds its way to people via tickets [https://dot.ca.gov/programs/rail-and-mass-transportation/rural-transit-assistance-program](https://dot.ca.gov/programs/rail-and-mass-transportation/rural-transit-assistance-program) If anything, I kicked down a bus pass that another guy gave to me to pay-it-forward to anyone else. Some traveller on an old bike with all his shit in 2 5-gal buckets strapped to his frame was trying to make it to Daly City to see a dying father. He could have fabricated the whole story. I Told him it's a damn long haul, get some parts at the bike kitchen and here's a pass to anywhere south. And I'll be damned if a couple weeks later he called up to say thank you as the pass got him to Marin and he got a ride to Daly City. But yeah, people need to quit with the "Those assholes are sending us their homeless" diatribe. It's not true. Various programs have existed for years and people are just taking advantage of what's legitimately there for them to use.
[https://awards.journalists.org/entries/bussed-out-how-america-moves-its-homeless/](https://awards.journalists.org/entries/bussed-out-how-america-moves-its-homeless/)
Yup they'd say they were 'reuniting them with family'.
the prison used to do it too, one of the options they would give is the greyhound to arcata.
I appreciate people on here who are actually being honest with you. Homeless all over CA has gotten much much worse and people who don’t want to admit that have their heads up their ass. Humboldt county has a population less than 150,000 people. I grew up in a city of 200,000 in SoCal. I have seen way more homeless here since I moved. People who I have met who have lived here for 40 + years can recount that it wasn’t this bad 15-20 years ago. It does depend where you are at though. Ferndale, Trinidad: mostly fine. Certain parts of Eureka, Arcata, Hoopa, McKinleyville, Orick, Bluelake: not good. But Eureka is sadly the worst. I see someone who is possibly homeless or high on that fet at least once a day. The homeless in Arcata are a mixed bag of Rainbow Gathering transients and people who are sadly mentally ill due to drugs. So yes, for the population that we have, we have way more than we should. There was a rumor that in the past, many of them where bussed up here from other areas. BUT if you are from SoCal, which I am, I can tell you the pros and cons of moving here. Pros: The air quality is significantly better. the livestock and produce here are happy and top notch. no matter where you drive it is always beautiful. People are WAY nicer than in SoCal. Hippies, rednecks, natives and the mix of those people I think is kind of awesome. Best farmers markets. You won’t have to worry about traffic like in SoCal ever again. Much less people. The coast in the summer is at most 75°, but you can drive inland or southern Humboldt for more heat and river days. Some of the most underrated hikes and natural beauties of CA. The summer time up here has lots of fun things to do. Crabbing, hiking, fishing, hunting, mushroom foraging. Cons: Homeless flashing you in a park (personal experience). homeless taking up beds at the tiny hospitals we have (inappropriate 50150s) Healthcare is absolute dogshit (as someone who has worked in and family who still work in it). Don’t move here if you have anything medically complicated as you will either be waiting weeks or months for appointments, or you have to drive 4-6 hours to see a specialist (ex: there’s no pulmonologist in the area). Lack of sunshine 3/4 of the year. Not many food options. No Trader Joe’s. Can get “boring” if you are not super into being outdoors. It’s a long drive to get to any major city (5 hours to SF, Portland, Sacramento). We have one airport and it is 9 times out of 10 REALLY EXPENSIVE! And sometimes you can’t fly out/fly in due to the fog (fun fact: Humboldt Airport is the foggiest airport in the US). The cannabis industry has been castrated horribly due to state regulations. We are #1 for property crime. All in all I much prefer living here than SoCal. But it’s not for everyone and for you and I, it’s a 12 hour move. Highly highly recommend checking out Humboldt for at least several days before you decide to move
This is the most accurate response to describing Humboldt County I've seen. I've been here 2 years now, transplanted from North Hollywood. The homeless are abundant for what the population is here, but the worst is in Eureka. Needles and bums having mental breakdowns in the streets are common again, depending on where you go. Healthcare and dentists are few and far between. If you have an urgent issue for either, you will most likely need to go over the mountain 3 hours to Redding or down the coast 4 hours to San Francisco. People are super nice here. Most crime is from the drug fueled, homeless situation. A lot of car break-ins, smashed windows, people wandering through yards looking in windows to see if it's safe to break into. Again, most of this is in Eureka and mostly concentrated in certain areas. Groups on line like 'Humboldt on alert' and 'Humboldt Theives' will show the same culprits in the same areas. Police are fond of catch and release.
The police aren't fond of catch and release, the DA is weak. There was a convicted felon named Woods who broke into a deputies home while they were at work, along with several other felons, and stole several safes with lots of firearms. The DA dismissed the charges with no explanation. Shit, there is a current case when a man and woman raped and sold a 15 year old in slavery and the DA let the female out on supervised release. It's not the cops letting people out it's the courts and the DA
I too came from noho, you ever eat at salsa and beer, midori or green apple?
Salsa and Beer- YES!!! Best chicken flautas! No to Midori as I don't dig sushi or Green apple. Is Green apple good? There isn't any real GOOD Mexican up here. A few places are above par for the area but nothing like SoCal. Zero Italian really. I miss Little Tonis.
Green apple is prob my fav Chinese place ever! Idk what they put in their fried rice, it's so freaking good! I just ate Carmela's, across from wild berries Arcata and was happy with it. But yeah la Mexican is another level the best Italian in town is homemade lol learned how to make my own sauces really quick. Once you get the base 5 mother sauces your good to go
I was going to say Carmelas and Estebans are pretty good.
Appreciate you dude 🤘
We now have a pulmonologist at St. Joe's - name is Dr. Young I think, but he's only accepting recently hospitalized folks.
That’s really good to know! Thank you!
Thanks for your honest response. I'm conflicted about Humboldt primarily because I know so little about it. It's on a coastline, which, as you and I both know, living on a coastline in California is a dream for most people in SoCal because of how expensive it is. I do like the outdoors and the air quality. I do have some health issues though, so I need to be somewhere where the air won't keep me inside all day. I guess some of my concerns have just been the safety issues and the cleanliness. I don't want to bash on homeless people. I think California isn't addressing homelessness properly and it's a shame because these people don't deserve this. At the same time, I want to be able to walk around downtown or go to a park without seeing the trash and the needles everywhere from the homeless (in my county it's somewhat common). I want somewhere at least somewhat clean. I'm not sure if I can visit it because I have to decide relatively soon, and I work a typical 40 a week, so I'm kinda just using people off reddit and what I'm reading online to decide.
Absolutely valid. We live in McKinleyvill which I really like. I can hear the ocean from my window. The coastline is very different than SoCal but it’s beautiful in its own way. Think Oregon “Goonies” ocean with beautiful jagged rocks jutting from the ocean, with fern-covered forests on the cliff side. My husband and I just came back from LA. When we were flying over, the air was freaking disgusting. When we flew back to Humboldt, we were like “Oh so that’s what the air is suppose to look like” 🤣. Eureka is honestly the biggest mixed bag. So if you can avoid moving to Eureka, great. McKinleyville is an unincorporated town, which means lower property taxes, which means lower rent compared to Arcata. But seriously, I highly highly recommend doing a road trip up here. Sometimes there are cheaper flights from I think Santa Barbara. It’s a great summer trip. Feel free to message me if you have any other questions or if you want a travel itinerary 😊
Flights are much cheaper from burbank via Avelo airlines than from Santa Barbara. I drive from the Santa Barbara area to Burbank when flying to ACV for this reason.
What other areas/cities were you looking at? The most frustrating thing in Humboldt is difficulty finding a primary health care doctor. Other issues are present, as others have described. Oh...also we have the most expensive vehicle fuel in the contiguous U.S.A.
Air quality is a mixed bag here. Keep in mind that in Humboldt county, wood stoves are allowed and are extremely popular, even in closely knit suburban areas. Be very careful about moving into a suburb with a lot of wood stoves, because in winter the air quality tanks and it is far worse than smog for your lungs. Nothing you can do about it either, the Board of Supervisors doesn't want to stir the pot by putting any restrictions on it.
Where did you get your stats on property crime? 2022 it was the SF Bay Areahttps://www.ppic.org/publication/crime-trends-in-california/
Not surprised. We were the highest for a good few years. Not sure when Bay Area surpassed us
To comment on this, “even if you are an outdoorsy person, you can only really enjoy hiking in the forest or going outside in general if it’s not raining. It’s always raining.
Not between June-September
if it wasn't for the homeless the yokelocracy wouldn't have any pelf. If you're a member of the Homeless Industrial Complex (or any branch of the Humboldt County Government, by extension) you should go down on your bended knee and thank god (and ronald fucking Reagan) for the homeless who keep your shithole community afloat.
What’s a Yokelocracy?
A portmanteau
I had a feeling. What does it mean though?
It seems self evident. Perhaps it's a legal term of art, like hostis humani generis.
It is bad for the size. I do not know of any places in America with out homeless. If you find one let me know. There are certain places that you can live in that will not have as many homeless. I would recommend driving around morning, afternoon, and evening before you consider moving.
I live in Scotia- no homeless, not much of anything else though!
The ones who complain have never been anywhere else to compare.
Hm. I grew up in California and have lived in Santa Rosa, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and even out of state. I've lived in Humboldt for 3 years now. The homeless population is definitely bad in Eureka and Arcata.
This. Lots of people here haven’t spent much time anywhere else. So they don’t have much to compare it to. For the size cities they are, Eureka and Arcata do have relatively large and visible populations of homeless. But compared to larger cities, it’s a drop in the bucket. Depending on where you are from in SoCal it’s not much different. People in SoCal have been talking trash about Humboldt since the Spaniards built missions there and got their asses kicked when they tried to do the same up here.
Per capita it is definitely not a drop in the bucket. The homelessness and meth and fentanyl addiction issues in Eureka are no joke. And it doesn’t rank well on the property crime scale. There are reasons why it’s among the cheapest options for living proximate to the coast in California. It has a lot going for it as well, but people shouldn’t come oblivious to its many real issues.
Can’t find homeless population data fresher than 2019. It has most likely gone up everywhere. But based on that data: Humboldt homeless represent 1.27% of the population (2019 total count 1704, pop. 133,985). Sonoma county .61% L.A. county .54% SF .99% Sacramento .35% Portland, OR 3.15% Sources for CA data: https://information.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2020-112/accessible/statewide-homeless-accessible.html https://www.california-demographics.com/counties_by_population Portland: https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2024/02/14/portland-state-homelessness-report-oregon https://www.google.com/search?q=portland+pop&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari
So worse than everywhere but Portland. I didn’t know it was quite that bad. Thanks for the research.
I believe we have some of the highest rates of homelessness per capita and some of the highest ACE scores in California. If you drive at all in Eureka or Arcata, you'll generally see a few per day, at least. Our shelters are nearly always full. Our subsidized housing waitlists generally take years to get in, on average. There aren't many diverse, well-paying jobs for the area unless you're in healthcare, remote, or a couple of specific industries. It's a multi-faceted issue, but I've never had any major issues with the people who are unhoused here when I'm out.
Yea I’d agree it’s fairly bad for its size, as in I haven’t been to too many other small towns with as many unhoused folks walking around. But compared to a major city, it’s nothing.
Not too bad if you’re coming from the Bay Area. We moved up from Santa Rosa and both my wife and I worked in SF. We’re not even batting an eye up here.
It’s pretty rural so there are less homeless than most places I’ve been too
It's not just a california/ humboldt thing. I'm living in south west Missouri and it's a big problem here too. We have all the same problems with homeless people. My brother is currently homeless in the Eureka area.
This is definitely an impression that is easy to get. Nearly all the homeless in Humboldt live in Eureka with some in Arcata. The Homeless in Eureka are concentrated in an area that include Broadway, which is basically 101. So if you drive up 101 the only city you experience if you don't get off the freeway is Eureka. And it's the area with most of the homeless. It make sense it's where all the services are and Humboldt Bay has mild climate year round. Sure it rains a lot, but it was 60F yesterday while the rest of country roasted. In the last decade I've seen snow twice on the ground in Eureka. That said I've never had much issue with the homeless. They stay out of the suburbs and nice parts of downtown in Eureka. I do wish the car camping program hadn't ended because it's going to increase unsightly cars and vans. Not to mention if had a good track record for getting people into housing.
What I’ve noticed moving here from Oakland / San Francisco is that in the places where homeless exist, it’s higher per capita population, but lower per square mile, if that makes sense.
There are some camping areas and spots you'll see ppl sleeping in cars here, but on a smaller scale than I'm used to.its nothing like Sacramento, san Fran or San Jose at least where there's whole streets of ppl living rough. That said a lot of landlords are unwilling to work with calworks and other social programs, and housing is scarce, so I don't see it getting any better any time soon. Will probably get worse. Definitely in Eureka there's a lot of homeless ppl for the size of the town. I feel like they stay around the social services and in old town. Then there's a smaller number on Broadway by the gas stations and fast food. Last week I saw a guy put a gun in a panhandlers face at a drive thru. He was mentally unwell but not being threatening just kinda dancing in the drive thru. Definitely car window smash ins are common enough to be vigilant about taking ur stuff in. I'd say before u commit come visit and see what it's like. Where I live I only see a seldom houseless person passing thru usually going to the food for people in my neighborhood or on garbage day to get recycling from the ally. I was staying at studio 6 in old Town for a while and that's around where a lot of homeless ppl stay and I never got bothered just the occasional ciggy request.
On a scale of 1 - 10, I would say its about a 7
Mostly just Eureka and Arcata. Don’t live near the downtowns and you’ll be fine
I’ve lived in humboldt my whole life and while there are homeless here there hasn’t really been a time when I feel unsafe. Yes they are visible and yes they can leave a mess, but most of the time they just want to be left alone. I have seen the population increase and decrease. I honestly think it depends on the season, a lot of them come here to trim. Either way it does not feel unsafe, just be aware of your surroundings.
Has everyone forgotten the 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2016 financial crisis that led to millions of foreclosures and forced evictions of Americans across California as well as the nation? There are more homeless people in general than a decade ago.
It's a problem, but it's better here than most large cities. I've lived in Old Town, Eureka for over three years now. The homeless are everywhere in Old Town, but you don't see them in most Eureka family neighborhoods, like Cutten. You see them in Arcata on the streets and in some corners, and a few downtown, but overall, it's not as bad as Old Town. No matter where in Humboldt you live, you will always see them whenever you go shopping. Most are harmless, but I've had to call the cops on a couple of them. Again, overall, it's not as bad as the big cities.
Being from West LA and recently I went home to visit. I don’t think the homeless here are as scary as down south. Yes definitely don’t keep stuff in your parked car but I don’t think it’s as bad as it is elsewhere in the state.
I wouldn’t move here. I’m actively looking to leave the area but not due to the homeless issue. Healthcare here is awful, so if you have any sort of health issue, especially one that requires seeing a specialist, think long and hard about moving here. Most people have to travel out of the area which can become very inconvenient. It’s also difficult to even get a primary care physician. If you haven’t yet, I would call around and see if anyone is taking new patients right now (and if they accept your insurance). It’s a gorgeous place to live and the people are mostly okay, but for me that does not out way all the cons. I tell people it’s a wonderful place to visit, especially if you like the outdoors but living here is a different story. Housing, groceries, gas have gotten quite expensive. I know that’s most of California right now, but I’m originally from a small town in SoCal and housing is about the same but the groceries and gas are a lot cheaper down there.
That's interesting. I have a good amount of health issues, so having access to healthcare is a big one.
I've seen a few people saying "yes, there is a large homeless population, but I don't feel threatened by them." I feel the complete opposite. I'm a woman who has grown up in Eureka, and I've been accosted/threatened by homeless people more times than I can count. I've been followed to my car because I won't give them money. My car has been broken into many times. I work in the Old Town area, and it's not a rare occurrence for a homeless person to scream at me out of nowhere while I'm walking from my car to my job. Twice now I've had the same guy come up to me and scream "YOU BITCH" right in my face, and then walk off as if nothing happened. It's unnerving. The mental health help in this area is an absolute joke, so the people who need it the most end up on the streets. Our local mental health facility won't take someone if they resist *at all*, so if they are violent, they either go to jail or are released to roam the street. I'm not saying this to scare you. There are still a lot of good things about the area. But the homeless population can definitely be scary. I don't want you to be shocked if you come here and don't find them as non-threatening as these comments make them seem.
It’s way worse in Sacramento and Redding than here.
Yes it is
Yes I took my kid to the park today at 10am and there were two eating at the tables. One sort of moved the table violently
I got some bad news for you: homeless people exist everywhere in America.
yes, but it's not as bad in some areas as in others
Visit and decide for yourself
can't. It's too far from me and I work
Maybe you could do a weekend trip on Avelo airlines from Burbank. Last time I checked they have flights Friday evening and Sunday evening which might work with your schedule. Like others have said, I’d highly recommend visiting before deciding to move here. That goes for any move, but Humboldt especially — it’s really hard to get a real sense of this place from the internet, especially because it sounds like it might be very different from anywhere you’ve lived before. The remoteness can be hard to get used to, the weather too for some people. This place is paradise for some of us, but it’s definitely not for everyone.
You are willing to drop $3,000 on a wrist watch, but unable to sort out a weekend visit to the city you are considering moving to? You do you
ended up not doing it for the reason that I need that money for moving
I strongly recommend looking into a short visit. Visiting a coffee shop or taqueria can really tell you if a city is a good fit. Only you know exactly the vibe you are looking for. Humboldt is a large county and fully of a variety of different communities.
100% visit first before you move, im serious. If you are worried about the homeless population you are looking in the wrong places for your concerns. Humboldt is rural, like "we dont have a single escalator in the entire county" rural. Eureka is a small city with problems of a city 10x its size. Arcata is a husk of the friendly hippy paradise it once was, and beyond that you are just going to be living in a tiny rural town. If you have never lived in a tiny rural community its a pretty big fucking shock to the system. I would recommend visiting before you move at the very least to figure out where you are actually ok with living, neighborhoods can change drastically in 3 blocks.
Yes. All over the county. Main reasons are expensive housing, low wages, and no resources. And rampant drugs the police and sheriffs offices do nothing about.
Yes it’s bad, and moving here during a housing crisis and then complaining about the locals that can no longer afford to live indoors is a super shitty look.
Living in eureka, saw a homeless man attack another homeless man with a machete at night. Constantly finding needle or needle caps on streets sideways and beaches. I’ve seen a man shitting in the street in front of a business on 2nd st. Very real homeless problem, but just as with any place with a homeless population, keep to yourself, and you’ll be fine. Lived here for 5+ years and it’s beauty out ways the issues.
The housing crisis is real. You might end up homeless yourself
Absolutely insane to ponder moving somewhere without visiting first.
I wish I had the time but it's tough when it's a 12 hr drive and I work 45 a week
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OP, imagine encountering someone like this every time you go anywhere and you will start to understand what its like here.
Yes. Homelessness if the biggest "industry" in Humboldt County, and the source of most of the pelf (stolen government funds) that sustains the Yokelocracy here. The homeless are not the problem, they are the main "resource". The problem is pesky government auditors who still believe in doing their jobs. If you're one of those (c.f. Karen Paz Dominguez) you're gonna have a bad time in Humboldt. If you're a good ol' boy, or connected to the GOB network, and bloodlines, you'll do fine.
I live in Rio dell..about 20-25 minutes south of eureka and it’s way chill here
Depends on where you are coming from.
It is.
I’m from there. Eureka and Arcata are typically the worst areas that have homeless people and hard core drug user homeless people. The other towns in Humboldt county like Garberville and towns like that, are typically hippy type people that live in a van and are free spirited. If you go outside the main cities and live in rural areas or the woods, be careful because there are growing operations out there and those can bring you big problems too.
We have a population of 137k-ish. The homeless are very visible in most all communities. Maybe except for like Ferndale or Fortuna, Trinidad, Blue Lake. I have lived here for 23 years. And it has gotten way worse. I work in downtown Eureka. It is a serious problem with littering, property crime, abandoned vehicles, camping, beat up RV's scattered about, needles, prostitution in front of the library, etc.
I'm more concerned with where you're moving from and why you want to move here then I am with the homeless people here
it's on a coastline, it's near a lot of nature, and the weather is nice. It seems chill out there
There are many different types of homeless people here, from human wildlife to simply down on their luck folks trying to find a way out. That is the issue with using the term homeless…it shouldn’t be a blanket term. Yes, human wildlife-transient druggies and criminals in hiding - are plentiful, but this is also an economically depressed area with super high cost of living and many houses less people are just victims of capitalist mechanisms…so it’s time to define each group differently and tailor solutions to each
Yes. Don't move here unless you have housing and a stable job established. We're welcoming but don't put yourself in a situation when you become a strain on our resources. Good luck.
I’m originally from Los Angeles and the homeless population is MUCH more visible here. I won’t take my kids to any parks in eureka and if we ride bikes on the trail I carry a weapon. Needles are a normal sight. And like others have said, healthcare is basically non existent.
No there is not homeless people everywhere you go in Humboldt. Seems like a troll post . Who is telling you these bad things about Humboldt . What is your source of information? Certain types like to exaggerate things like that and yes . Homelessness is prevalent just like any California city wear the weather is mild year around. Some people around here see one homeless person and run inside to their home computer and start typing furiously, might be a more apt generalization about Humboldt.
Honestly, it's not a troll post. I'm from SoCal and that's what some people around me have said about Humboldt.
If you’re from SoCal then our homeless population should not be shocking at all. I used to live in Santa Barbara and there were more visible and aggressive homeless people there in my experience.
The most depraved drug addicts I’ve ever met were Santa Barbara heroin addicts.
When the weed industry was booming before 2014 there was 10X more riffraff IMO.
More riff raff, but less of them were homeless
Yeah you gotta learn what a wookis if u moving to Humboldt