July 22, 2025
Orange County is facing what seems to be a paradox. Despite being one of the wealthiest regions in the entire nation, the county is witnessing an escalating affordable housing crisis that is leaving thousands without a place to call home.
In reality, this truth is not paradoxical at all — it’s a characteristic symptom of income inequality that will continue claiming entire livelihoods if its causes aren’t mitigated.
In the county’s 2024 Point in Time Count, it was discovered that over 7,000 of its residents were living on the streets, far outnumbering the 5,466 available beds in the permanent and interim housing supply. Rent prices have also climbed substantially. A report from the California Housing Partnership determined that renters in Orange County need to earn roughly $53.83 an hour to afford the average monthly rent expense — this is approximately three times the state’s minimum wage.