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MORGAN HILL TIMES
AUGUST 31, 2018
OPINION GUEST VIEW SEN. BILL MONNING
National College Savings Month
GUEST VIEW
Public-private solutions available for homeless
I
t takes three things for a community to end homelessness: political will, supportive policies and money. Most communities have one or two of these ingredients, but harnessing all three at the same time has proven hard. As a result, over 100,000 California residents are homeless today—about a fifth of the total homeless population in the United States. Here in Santa Clara County, we have approximately 7,400 people without a home. Of these, 74 percent are unsheltered and 2,000 are chronically homeless, which means they been homeless for one year or more. The county has the third-highest rate of chronic homelessness in the U.S. Between 2011 and 2016, there were 476 homeless deaths in Santa Clara County. Our county government has been spending $520 million per year on homelessness. Much of the cost comes from unhoused residents accessing emergency rooms, hospitals, jails and other public systems not designed to meet their needs. The 10 percent of un-housed residents who use the most services end up costing the county $62,000 every year they are living on the streets. For years, a failing system had resulted in wasted resources and more people on the streets. As in many California communities, it became increasingly clear that we were spending our time managing homelessness instead of ending it. Yet, despite this daunting challenge, over the past five years, the tide finally seems to be turning. We have an engaged local government, tech stepping up to make significant commitments, and residents voting for meaningful change and resources. In 2014, over 200 stakeholders from public, private and non-profit sectors adopted the Community Plan to End Homelessness in Santa Clara County, creating a roadmap to ending homelessness in the region. We forged a true
public-private partnership, which has required that each partner contribute substantially and meaningfully to the overarching goal. Our leaders stepped up. The county formed the Office of Supportive Housing and put an unprecedented and successful $950 million affordable housing bond on the 2016 ballot. Cities like San Jose did their part too, dedicating resources and approving new projects. Then, this spring, Cisco made a $50 million grant to Destination: Home, a public-private partnership that works to end homelessness in Santa Clara County, and where I serve as CEO. The grant was the largest tech contribution to homelessness ever. Working together, our goal has been to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring. Our two aims are to increase the supply of housing affordable to our most vulnerable residents, and focus on permanent housing, rapid re-housing and homelessness prevention. The outcome of this collective effort has been remarkable. Prior to 2013, there had only ever been 348 apartments dedicated specifically for homeless residents and families in Santa Clara County. Today, there are over 1,000 new homes being constructed. Hundreds of apartments, with services fully funded, are set to open in the coming months. In the last three years, 5,124 men, women and children have been permanently housed over—and 94 percent of them are still housed today. While we still have a long way to go, the path is clear. Homelessness cannot be solved without a committed strategy led by a cross section of community leaders. Without this, the effort will not be sustained. We absolutely can eradicate homelessness—but it’s up to us, because there is no cavalry coming. We must all work together to help our un-housed neighbors, because no one should have to sleep outside.
Scott Forstner
Dan Pulcrano
Editor
Reporter
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Debra Eskinazi deskinazi@newsvmedia.com
Sen. Bill Monning’s 17th California Senate District includes Gilroy and Morgan Hill.
FROM THE WEB Re: ‘Plan for HSR to be selected as early as 2019’ A huge waste of billions of our tax dollars. It will never break even much less turn a profit.
Jennifer Loving is the CEO of Destination: Home, a public-private partnership working to end homelessness in Santa Clara County.
Michael Moore
Magazine and Features Editor
As students head back to their higher education institutions for the start of the school year, many families worry about the financial burden this education poses. According to the College Board, the average cost for one year at an in-state university is just over $20,000. This is why it is so important to highlight that September has been designated as National College Savings Month in order to educate families and students about the importance of having money saved for education expenses. The Institute for College Access and Success estimates that 55 percent of college students in California graduate with debt of more than $20,000. While many parents plan to assist their children with higher education costs, most only save about 30 percent of the full cost for a four year university education. Unfortunately, this results in higher student debt. Keeping this in mind, it is more important than ever to begin saving early for a child’s future higher education expenses. There are many savings plan options, including 529 plans and Education Savings Accounts. These plans were created to provide a tax-advantage savings account to help families save money for future education expenses, including tuition, books, and housing. With regard to 529 plans, two savings options are available. One option is a prepaid tuition plan, where the account owner purchases units at participating universities for the tuition of the account beneficiary. The other option is a savings account, where the account owner opens an investment account to save for the beneficiary’s higher education expenses or tuition for elementary or secondary public, private, or religious schools. In addition to savings plans, students can apply for financial aid through the California Student Aid Commission. There are multiple programs available to students, including the Cal Grant Program, to help with the cost of higher education. For more information on these programs, visit https://www.csac.ca.gov I encourage everyone to think ahead about future education expenses and find a plan that works best for you and your family. Higher education plays a critical role in our society and it is important that students have the opportunity to pursue a degree without the worries of how to pay off thousands of dollars of debt once they graduate. Investment in higher education yields lifelong returns.
Jeannette Close
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