city
Council Mulls Shelter Funding
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BY N I C K W E L S H
all day
on PAU L WELLM AN F I LE PHOTO
New Sober-Only Rules Spark More Questions Than Answers
KIDS EAT FREE
ver since the Casa Esperanza Homeless Center announced it would no longer accept inebriated clients — and that it was excluding non-shelter residents from its free lunch program and afternoon drop-in center — the $64,000 question has been: “Where would all these people go?” The short answer, according to shelter director Mike Foley, is: “We don’t know.” For Santa Barbara City Councilmember Grant House, that wasn’t good enough: “Where are these people going, and what are we going to do when they get there?” Santa Barbara City Councilmember Frank Hotchkiss stated there’s been a 50 percent reduction in the number of calls for service in the lower Milpas Street neighborhood since the Casa began implementing the major policy changes IN NEED: Members of Santa Barbara’s homeless this summer, suggesting that perhaps community line up outside Casa Esperanza. many of the people drawn by the lure of free food and a convenient place to hang — stated he’d stayed at the shelter at various have left town. City police spokesperson Sergeant Riley times and described conditions there as “chaHarwood acknowledged — in a separate inter- otic” and “a nightmare,” adding he felt as if he’d view — there’s been a slight dip in the calls for been “stripped of his dignity.” But the council service and offense reports for nuisance street also heard from another onetime Casa resicrime in the neighborhood since this summer. dent, Robert Burke, who said he was impressed Harwood noted there were 71 neighborhood by “how professional and ethical” the shelter calls for service this August and September as staff he encountered were, and he even liked opposed to 88 the previous year. Likewise, there the food. were 59 offense reports written up in the same The shelter has been hemorrhaging cash two months this summer as opposed to 84 last over the past five years, spending far more year. But other statistics released by Harwood than it was collecting in grants, donations, and also suggest the downward trend in nuisance government contracts. The one-stop-shop crime complaints predates the homeless shel- concept, in which people in various forms ter’s new sobriety policy. Two years ago, the of economic, mental-health, and substancerespective numbers were much higher, 126 and abuse distress were placed under one roof, has 121. The City Council heard anecdotal reports since been proved to be counterproductive in of increased homeless populations showing up the extreme. Philanthropists are more intent in Isla Vista and Carpinteria; Harwood added on funding operations that get people off the that Ventura has reportedly seen an increase, streets and have grown less inclined to support as well. To what extent any of this is related to shelters that take people as they are, drunk or Casa Esperanza’s new rules, however, remains sober. This new approach seems to be paying to be seen. The big test will come December 1, off; an emergency fundraising drive exceeded when the emergency shelter is scheduled to its target of $300,000 by about $100,000, but open at its full capacity of 200 beds. Until then, that infusion of cash, while welcome, only gets its census has hovered just under 100. the Casa through the end of the year. The specific question confronting the counCity Councilmember Randy Rowse cil this Tuesday was whether the Casa should suggested that because the Casa is a major still be allowed to collect about $125,000 in recipient of city funding, perhaps City Hall grants earmarked for the homeless shelter, should exercise greater financial oversight of but for services the Casa is no longer provid- the organization to prevent it from getting ing — like the drop-in center. Ultimately, the in such financial turmoil. City Administracouncil voted to allow shelter operators to use tor Jim Armstrong nixed that notion, noting the funds for other purposes, like hiring a case that the Casa already turns in annual financial manager and someone to prepare the meals. In reports prepared by outside auditors; the city, addition, $75,000 will be spent to operate the he noted, is not in the business of conducting Casa Winter Shelter. forensic audits. Just because the shelter was in The Casa shelter can be counted on to gen- a deficit mode, he said, does not mean that the erate heated debate, and this Tuesday, the coun- money was being misspent.“They’re spending cil heard from one former client, Jose Arturo more money than they’re bringing in,” ArmOrtiz, who urged them to “shut her down.” strong said.“A lot of nonprofits are in the same Ortiz — who said he became homeless in 2002 boat.” ■
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