The city of Goleta released it’s first-ever homelessness strategic plan for the public to view on its website.
The city of Goleta’s first homelessness strategic plan is now available for public review.
The plan was recently reviewed by the Homelessness Issues Standing Committee and will be considered by the Goleta City Council at its April 20 meeting.
To learn more and view the plan, visit https://tinyurl.com/goletahomelessnessplan.
If adopted, the document will help guide and coordinate efforts to prevent and address homelessness within Goleta, and particularly, funding decisions related to homelessness initiatives and grants for nonprofit service providers that focus on the homeless population.
“We are very pleased to be able to share the city’s final homelessness strategic plan with the public,” said Jaime Valdez, Goleta’s neighborhood services interim director. “This is the culmination of a two-year effort during which city staff has collaborated with multiple local stakeholders and sought out public input through workshops and a community survey. This plan will provide the city council with important guidance going forward as they make difficult funding decisions about homelessness initiatives.”
The city has held multiple public meetings and released a survey to hear directly from those with input on homelessness in the region, as well as people experiencing homelessness. Staff also held stakeholder meetings, best practices discussions with communities nationwide and a community open house and information session.
The city council and staff hope that having a strategic plan will provide important direction and clarity around needs, service gaps and priorities to help the existing homeless population, as well as those at risk of becoming homeless.
email: gmccormick@newspress.com
