SB ACT, 6/17/21, Vol. 35

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The Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SB ACT) exists to equip the community to lovingly engage the marginalized while actively working for the betterment of their physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental needs.

Since 2005, SB ACT has worked with and for marginalized populations to address broad-reaching inequities ranging from homelessness to human trafficking to healthcare access.

There are over 900 individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Santa Barbara (source: 2020 Point In Time Count), and we all feel the impacts. SB ACT initiated the ACT on Homelessness (AOH) Collaborative in 2019 in partnership with the City of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Foundation. The AOH Collaborative is committed to reducing and preventing homelessness and its impacts in the City of Santa Barbara by working in partnership using a variety of innovative solutions.

HOMELESSNESS

MYTHS AND REALITIES Myth #1: Homelessness has increased significantly since the start of the pandemic.

A September 2020 census of those experiencing homelessness in the City of Santa Barbara revealed that the numbers have not significantly increased since January 2020 (Source: 2020 City Net Census). However, encampments and individuals sitting and sleeping in public spaces for extended periods have been increasingly visible due to local adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines and adherence to a recent 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision preventing regular public sidewalk, street, and public property sweeps if there are not enough emergency shelter beds to refer individuals to (Source: Martin v. City of Boise, 2019).

Myth #2: Santa Barbara attracts individuals experiencing homelessness by offering an abundance of services.

Sky-high housing costs, racial and economic inequities, a lack of shelter beds/navigation centers/permanent supportive housing/low-barrier subsidized housing, and the limited capacity of local service providers are all contributors to homelessness in Santa Barbara (Source: 2020 SB County Grand Jury Report). What’s more, lower-paying jobs were the fastest growing job markets from 2011-2019 (Goods Producing and Leisure & Hospitality, industries that employ disproportionately more people of color) (Source: UCSB Economic Forecast Project Report, 2021). Lower-paying jobs were also some of the hardest-hit last year, with drops in employment between 15-40% (Source: SB County COVID-19 Impact Report). Additionally, the 2020 Point in Time Count found that 76% of those experiencing homelessness were living in Santa Barbara County when they first entered homelessness. The data indicates that individuals are not “migrating” to our community; they have been here the whole time.

Myth #3: There’s nothing I can do to help.

Everyone — we mean everyone — has a part to play in reducing the impacts of homelessness in our community. Read on to find out how you can help.

With (SB ACT’s) vast partnership network, they have been able to get critical support to people living on the streets, reconnect them with their families, to resources and to permanent housing despite extraordinarily challenging conditions.

While there is still concerted work to be done that the entire community needs to support, SB ACT has also been responsive to the needs of the business community… (they are) an undervalued community resource that we should all be thankful for and make sure has ample resources to do their good work.

-Robin Elander, Executive Director, Downtown Santa Barbara

WHAT WE’RE DOING Homelessness was not caused by one • Strengthen the capacity of organizasingular factor. If we want to effectively tions that provide permanent housing address homelessness in our community, placement services to increase the we must all work together using a variety rate of housing retention by 5% of strategies. The ACT on Homelessness Collaborative is a coalition of shelter • Create a culture of diversion and pre& service providers, government agen- vention among collaborative partners cies, business leaders, and community to reduce the percentage of individumembers working to reduce and prevent als, youth and families entering homehomelessness and its impacts in the City lessness from a housed situation by of Santa Barbara. Together, the Collabor- 10% ative has developed a strategic plan with the following 2023 goals: • Strengthen the coordination and availability of outreach and case manage• I ncrease the number of affordable ment services for individuals, youth housing units in the City of Santa Barand families experiencing homelessbara by 20% ness by 25%

The Collaborative also has a goal of 100 “street exits” by the end of 2021, meaning that individuals move into temporary shelter, bridge/transitional housing, permanent housing, or are “diverted” from homelessness to live with family or friends. To these ends, the Collaborative is committed to strategies such as identifying vacant sites evenly across every City district for housing & shelter developments, building the city’s capacity for bridge housing, and more.

The Collaborative has four Working Groups addressing the strategic plan goals: •H ousing & Shelter •H ousing Retention •H omelessness Prevention • L ived Experience (engaging those with lived experience with homelessness in Collaborative leadership)

The Collaborative also has four “Regional Action Plans” (RAPs) meeting weekly to address immediate concerns in “hotspot” neighborhoods: • S tate Street •E astside •W aterfront •A lameda Park

This year, Collaborative partners have facilitated 21 street exits (Source: March 2021 City Net Report), implemented 90-day impact reduction plans at three high-impact sites, and hosted diversion, de-escalation, and Psychological First Aid trainings to equip partners and community members.

(SB ACT) understands how homelessness impacts tourism, which is critical to our local economy, and effectively balances the needs of our business community in the pursuit of compassionate solutions that always put people first.

- Kathy Janega-Dykes, President & CEO, Visit Santa Barbara

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S Take ACTion B The time is NOW to take action. The number experiencing homelessness increased gradually from 2017 to 2020 (Source: Point in Time Counts 2017-2020), and the pandemic has set the stage for even higher numbers in the future thanks to a doubled unemployment rate countywide (Source: Lompoc Record, October 2020) and the looming threat of evictions as the nationwide moratorium ends June 30. If we want to turn the tide, we need businesses, faith communities, educational institutions, and community members. Everyone has a part to play.

Below are some actions you can take to address impacts of homelessness in our community: Listen for Opportunities. Join SB ACT’s newsletter at www.sbact.org/homelessness to stay up to date, engage with a Working Group or RAP, or learn about volunteer and advocacy opportunities.

Use Your Voice. Lasting solutions for homelessness require strong community support.

Join SB ACT in providing letters of support, public comment, and more to encourage City and County efforts to expand shelter, housing, and outreach.

Give. Coordinating a cross-sector Citywide coalition to address one of our community’s biggest social issues is no small matter. To sustain our collaborative work, SB ACT relies on funding from the City and private foundations, but also from supporters like you.

Donate today at www.sbact.org/give.

When we work together, we harness our collective power to achieve sustainable solutions. The AOH Collaborative is a call to our community for actionoriented strategies that are rooted in compassion and genuine concern for one other.

- Jackie Carrera, President & CEO, Santa Barbara Foundation

SANTA BARBARA ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION Collaborating with and for the Marginalized

sbact.org • 805-259-4692 • PO Box 217, Santa Barbara, CA 93102 Facebook: @sbactnow • Twitter: @sbactnow • Instagram: @sbactnow

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