A young organization working to help homeless residents has entered its second year with a focus on connecting those in need to assorted services, and seeking creative solutions to the shortage of housing, the Santa Maria City Council was told Tuesday night.
Dorothy Mogavero of Northern Santa Barbara County United Way/Home for Good Santa Barbara County provided a semi-annual update on the year-old initiative targeted to help the homeless countywide.
The first year focused on collecting information about homeless residents to create a database for those involved in providing help by going to places, such as the Santa Maria Public Library, where homeless residents gather.
“This database has drastically reduced the duplication of efforts which we’ve experienced in the past,” Mogavero said. “We are able to reach out to each other and coordinate what we’re doing for each individual and family.”
Numbers have shown the city of Santa Barbara has the largest homeless population in the county with more than 600, followed by Santa Maria with 469 and Lompoc with approximately 250, she said.
Some 20 homeless residents were noted in Carpinteria, with 25 each in Goleta and Isla Vista.
“That’s quite a group of people that we’re trying to connect with, make them document-ready so they’re prepared and ready to get into housing, and give them support services,” Mogavero said.
Thirteen percent of those they contacted countywide are homeless families, she said.
“To us, that’s a lot,” Mogavero added. “We don’t want any of our families on the street.”
Efforts in the second year will turn to ensuring homeless community members have the proper documents needed to get services and for placement in housing.
“We need available housing and, as you have heard us say in the past, we cannot solve this homeless problem if we can’t build,” she said. “But we cannot build our way out of this problem quickly enough or in sufficient numbers so we have to create new relationships and creative opportunities with landlords, and even consider other housing techniques.”
Home for Good staff has worked to get homeless residents to be self-self-sufficient and in 2018 took 91 people off the streets in North County, she said, adding some went to shelters, others reunited with family members and some enrolled in detox programs.
In other business, the Santa Maria council:
» Heard the winners of the Santa Maria Valley Restaurant Week inaugural Craft Cocktail Contest organized by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors and Convention Bureau.
Santa Maria had 19 participating restaurants and wineries during this year’s Restaurant Week which was held in January. In addition to a panel of judges, the contest awarded a fan favorite award by counting positive comments posted on social media.
Maya Mexican Restaurant captured the People’s Choice Award for its entry, The Michelada. The judges’ panel chose the Historic Santa Maria Inn’s entry, The Hollywood, as the overall winner.
» Approved a new 3-year agreement between the Santa Maria Police Department and Allan Hancock College.
Under the agreement, Santa Maria police will use the AHC Public Safety Training Center at the Lompoc Valley Center up to 30 days a year.
In exchange and to offset facility costs, Santa Maria police will provide back-up dispatching during evening hours, annual training for Hancock police officers, booking of prisoners, booking of evidence and mutual aid police presence.
The college district also will recognize equipment and vehicle donations to offset the costs
“Use of the Lompoc Valley Public Safety Complex allows SMPD officers to adequately train in law enforcement procedures,” Chief Phil Hansen wrote in a staff report. “The agreement with the (college) district enhances the long-standing relationship between the District and the City of Santa Maria.”
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.