City forms task force on homeless issue

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Homelessness issues in Santa Barbara will get a comprehensive look after city leaders voted unanimously on Tuesday to create a collaborative task force to look into intervention and enforcement strategies.
While the conversation grew out of complaints about Casa Esperanza’s annual mandated ritual of closing 100 beds for the summer, those who brought the issue to the City Council said the discussion should transcend that issue.

“There’s a larger conversation to be had here,” said Councilmember Iya Falcone, who joined with Councilmember Helene Schneider to place the discussion item on the agenda.
Topics such as establishing an alcohol impact zone to restrict the sale of cheap alcohol in certain areas and working on discharge services for homeless people leaving jail or hospitals are among issues Falcone and Schneider hope will be examined closely by the task force.
But beyond that, leaders stressed the coalition should take a broad look at any and all strategies to prevent the revolving door of the streets, jails, emergency rooms and shelters in which many homeless people are caught.
“It’s gone on forever and it’ll go on forever, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to do something that will help those people that are in that spot,” Councilmember Grant House said. “…We’ve been taking this great big approach with the 10-year Plan [to End Chronic Homelessness].
“Maybe now it’s a chance to take another step forward and dig a little deeper.”
A medley of homelessness advocates, concerned business owners and homeless people addressed the council, many expressing optimism for the proposal.
“We can and will develop a short- and long-term action plan that will help a great deal of people who are still falling through the cracks,” said Barbara Allen, speaking as a board member of Casa Esperanza and the Milpas Action Task Force.
Allen, as did many other public speakers, volunteered to take part in the proposed coalition.
Roger Heroux, a healthcare and nonprofit consultant who has been working extensively on the homeless issue in Santa Barbara, emphasized the importance of bringing together elected leaders, nonprofit organizations such as Transition House, Casa Esperanza and the Rescue Mission, and the business community to create true inclusiveness and a comprehensive approach to finding solutions.
“It’s time to get the right people on the bus in Santa Barbara,” he said. “…We need to step up a little more to address this issue.”
Longtime homelessness advocate Bob Hansen argued that another group has been largely left out of the discussion until now: the homeless.
“Why don’t you get them on board the bus and working together,” he said. “Then you’ve got something.”
City leaders echoed the call for an inclusive task force that includes members from across the city and the spectrum of stakeholders, particularly homeless representatives.
“This is the kind of thing I have in my mind, that, yes, you’ll be on the bus if I have anything to say about it,” Falcone said.
She ultimately suggested forming the task force with its membership to be determined within 60 days by an ad-hoc council committee, a proposal that drew unanimous support from her colleagues, short an absent Councilmember Das Williams.
Following discussions with local business leaders, Councilmember Roger Horton said he believes the business community is ready to join the effort and noted the importance of taking action now in the face of a faltering economy.
“Everything points to the fact that the time is right,” he said.
While acknowledging that the city is facing a serious homelessness problem, Mayor Marty Blum stressed that leaders aren’t starting from square one, citing various shelters and housing projects throughout the city.
“We’ve already done so many wonderful things and we’re taking the next step,” she said. “…I don’t think this is going to go away ever. It’s just something that we’re going to have to work on continually.”