On June 17, 2008, the Santa Barbara City Council established a Council Committee, comprised of three Council members, to study a range of issues related to homeless services and neighborhood impacts. This committee, with input from community members, presented the Strategies to Address Community Issues Related to Homelessness in the City of Santa Barbara to the Council on February 24, 2009.
The Strategies include 12 recommendations organized into three interrelated categories (enforcement, intervention, and prevention) and are intended to be implemented as a package.
In November 2010, City Council reconvened the Council Subcommittee.
A series of community round-table type meetings were held several months. The Subcommittee presented its recommendations to City Council on September 13, 2011. Council approved the following recommendations:
A. Support, in concept, the consolidation of Bringing Our Community Home, Common Ground Santa Barbara and the Regional Homeless Advisory Committees into a regional homeless collaborative, and direct Council and staff to participate in a planning workshop to be held in Fall 2011;
B. Set aside Fiscal Year 2013 Human Services funding to pay the City's fair share of staffing costs of the homeless collaborative, with the expectation that other public government bodies will also step up with their fair share;
C. If appropriate, offer in-kind office space on the South Coast for the homeless collaborative;
D. Direct staff to work with the County of Santa Barbara Housing and Community Development Department on the selection of a new homeless management information system (HMIS);
E. Direct Police Department staff to develop measurable outcomes for the Enhanced Restorative Policing Pilot Program and report semiannually on the progress of meeting these outcomes, including any discernible changes in the neighborhood issues near Casa Esperanza; and
F. Direct staff to complete Phase I of the Real Change Not Spare Change alternate giving campaign and suspend the implementation of Phase II.
To stay informed, the public may sign up to receive email notices when new committee information is posted by going to:
https://www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Government/e-Subscription/
Councilmembers
- Chair – Dale Francisco
- Members – Helene Schneider, Harwood “Bendy” White
Staff Contacts
Deirdre Randolph, Community Development Programs Supervisor
DRandolph@SantaBarbaraCA.gov
(805) 564-5461 X 5511
Armando Martel, Police Captain
(805) 897-2376/77