Supes give $40K to help stock homeless warming centers
Heeding calls from religious and nonprofit groups to pitch in and help take care of a segment of the homeless population that resists traditional shelters but needs warm accommodations on frigid nights, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday allocated $40,000 to the cause.
Although it remains unclear exactly where, or when, the money will actually be put to use, homeless advocates felt the gesture by the Board was a huge step in the right direction.
“I believe that the Board of Supervisors is as concerned about this issue as I am and I have full faith that they are going to do their very best to help us here and I’m going to keep on believing that until I hear otherwise,” said Rev. Aaron McEmrys, of The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara.
Temporary warming centers popped up across the county when a series of large storms rumbled through Southern California in late January.
Before the storms passed, three homeless people were found dead on the South Coast, though it was unknown how significant a role the poor weather played. Since the beginning of this year, officials say six homeless people have died.
The deaths, and the dozens of homeless people who took refuge in warming centers, came while shelter space was available.
According to a staff report prepared for the Board’s meeting, protocols are in place for when shelters fill during extreme weather — mainly that the county’s Office of Emergency Services is notified, and it lets involved jurisdictions know of the lack of space — but to date, this hasn’t been needed.
This only substantiates what homeless advocates have long known: that certain homeless people shy away from shelters. The reasons for this are many, but include substance abuse, mental illness, a history of being turned away, and plain old distorted thinking, according to the staff report.
But when rain and freezing temperatures rack the area, these people trickle out from secluded camps looking for refuge.
The weather “has put a human face on these members of the community whom normally we do not see,” said John Buttny, executive director of Brining Our Community Home, an organization that helps coordinate the efforts of the county’s 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. “It’s exposed a serious gap in the safety net of services provided by the local governments and nonprofits.”
During the deluge in January, The Unitarian Society opened its temporary warming center, which consists of two classrooms on the church’s campus at 1535 Santa Barbara St., twice. Both times, it was filled to capacity. Those who weren’t lucky enough to get a spot on the floor inside took refuge beneath eaves and other overhangs, wherever they could stay dry.
The expectation is that the $40,000 allocated by the Board to aid the warming centers will be spent over the next 60 to 90 days.
Third District Supervisor Doreen Farr, who placed the matter on the Board’s agenda, said more information about the exact destination for the money would be made available in the next few days. She said in a telephone message that the funds will most likely be allocated through the Public Health Department and will be expended on staffing and supplies at various warming centers throughout the county.
“It’s really good news I think on all fronts that we’re going to be able to assist the existing warming shelter operations,” she said.
The Board’s discussion on the matter was lengthy and complicated, and some homeless advocates said it was eye-opening to see the gears of government grind.
What was being sought seemed simple enough: money to help purchase basic supplies that would help offset expenditures being bore by groups like the Unitarian Society.
But at one point during the meeting, Michael Harris, the county’s chief of emergency operations, said the minimum cost of sending a county employee to help staff a warming shelter for a 13-hour period would be $538, or about $41 an hour.
At that rate, $40,000 wouldn’t go far.
“I just am dumbfounded by the amount of money that has been thrown out,” said 1st District Supervisor Salud Carbajal. “We’re smarter than this. We can make it happen. Five-hundred dollars a night; are we putting people up at the Biltmore? I don’t get it.”
Carbajal also said he hoped that cities would contribute to the effort.
Wherever the county money lands, homeless advocates hope it happens sooner than later, because another storm is set to hit the area tomorrow, and the warming center at the Unitarian Society already has plans to be up and running on Friday and Saturday.
“The one thing I’m concerned about is that this money and the county’s support can get freed up as quick as possible,” McEmrys said. “We really need to move quickly and decisively.”
Comment on this article
More grandstanding : 2/4/2010
Several million dollars per year is allocated by the county to multidepartmental homeless programs and passthroughs.
Carbajal who always touts how long he's worked for county government should k ow more than most that costs of sufficiently trained specialists include more than just straight salary. But more importantly instead of mocking his own staff for the sake of a sound ite, why wasn't he demanding more from his counterparts in the city including Mayor Schneider to do as many cities throughout the state do during coldspells, and take some responsibility and initiative for mitigating the problem-even opening one of the many city buildings within blocks of the locations of the vast majority of the recent homeless deaths. That has been the elephant looming in the living room here-how did all of this outcry become curiously and solely focused on the county- what were the advocates told by their good friends in city hall.
Quietly watching this illogical government bailout
Homeless : 2/4/2010
I have inquired about the homeless budget and how it is spent for years and nobody seems to have an answer. In 2006 it was reported that the County of SB spends $36 million annually on the homeless and at that time the Board of Supervisors agreed to spend $64,000 that year to contract a “homeless coordinator”. What was this coordinator’s assessment of our homeless situation and how is the $36 million spent? How do other upscale zip codes handle this problem? I don’t see this problem in other costal communities (Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Carmel, Monterey, etc.). There has to be a solution within this budget to help the homeless.
more homeless : 2/4/2010
Thanks guys. This just increased the homeless populatipn by 100. Come to Santa Barbara, we take care of the homeless on the backs of the taxpayers.
john
So what next? : 2/4/2010
OK, so if I understand this increasingly convoluted argument that has no foundation, the millions that already are given to the shelters in the county do not help the handful of people who won't go to those shelters allegedly because the shelters have rules. So now the county (read: taxpayers) will give MORE money probably to the same shelters to do something different? and won't there then be people who won't want to go to these shelters-without-rules and so will we need to give more money to create a new form of shelter for them?
where does it end
Time to Get Rid of These Supervisors : 2/4/2010
This funding is just completely out of line! I have had it with these liberal spending and social policies that are ruining out beautiful city, her great places, as well as taxing and spending us all into the poor house. Or should I say a 'warming shelter.' These board members that voted for such allocation need to go. We put them in there. We shall take them out and demand fiscally responsible members that respects Santa Barbara taxpayers' money.
To think on top of this they have also funded and set forth a Homeless Review Board to do a 3-6 month study on the homeless deaths this year. How much will that be costing us. My roads need to be repaved and that is not getting done, nor is the funding there for it.
Fed up!
homeless mecca : 2/4/2010
How many transients can we send somewhere warm for $40,000?
I'm just saying...
Friend of the Genius
it's not just about a warming center : 2/4/2010
it's not just about a warming center, because opening the door for them to stay dry ends up with....... a meal, then a shower, then a counseling session, then a cot, then a couple blankets, then a foot massage, then a toe nail clipping, then some new clothes, then de-licing, then some medical stuff, then holding their hands while they sleep, then coffee and breakfast, then a sack lunch, and so on and so on..... so where does it stop? Well it seems in this county, it doesn't stop! I wish the county had this much concern about me!
sick of the homeless
Homeless spending practices : 2/12/2010
What's really going on? I just learned that KEYT 3 will be interviewing Mike Foley
during a special hour long program regarding warming shelters, etc.. Has anyone even questioned
the logic in this recent spending. $40,000.00 dollars to fund staffing for twenty hazardous rain days.
Figuring 2 staff at $15.00 hr., since there are only two warming shelters, for twenty days, the total amounts too
just $7,200.00. And that's assuming there will be twenty days of rain. Will there be an accounting of the
remaining $32,800 - Is there ever an accounting of what Mike Foley and Casa Esperanza receive?
Just 10% of the original $40,000.00, would pay for two full weeks of detoxification for 13 individuals
suffering from addictions. Both alcohol and drugs. Currently the detox. unit is only half full. This is because
the homeless cannot afford to pay for the services.
This is just one example of the spending errors, intentional or otherwise, that are prevalent in the Casa
Esperanza homeless industry. Suppose these 13 individuals, who may have benefit from detox., actually
were successful in their recovery attempt; then another 13, and another 13. With 39 people on their way to
recovery, Mr. Foley would certainly have a harder time raising funds for, well, exactly what?
Before the County and City earmark any more funds for Mr. Foley and Casa Esperanza, they must audit and
make an accounting of just how and where those funds are spent. To do any less would amount to complicity
in what could possibly be questionable/irresponsible accounting and spending practices.
Concerned Citizen
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