Services are provided to veterans during the 2020 Veterans Stand Down event in Santa Maria.
The Santa Maria/Santa Barbara County Continuum of Care and local stakeholders have completed another 100-day challenge to reduce homelessness, this time among veterans.
More than 150 veterans are experiencing homelessness on any given night, according to a news release. The Santa Barbara County team established a goal to connect half of this population to safe and stable housing, as well as supportive services.
At Day 100, the team made significant progress toward its goals, according to the news release. Forty-six veterans were connected to housing and services.
“The 100-day challenge was a fantastic opportunity for a group of cross-sector stakeholders to re-examine their models and implementation processes of housing veterans experiencing homelessness,” said Kathy Simas, a retired Santa Barbara Foundation North County director. “Our key takeaways include better practices for information-sharing among organizations and improving their cohesiveness, plus we identified strategies that require additional attention.”
She noted 46 veterans were housed during a short period.
Previously, the team completed a 100-day challenge to reduce youth homelessness in Santa Barbara County.
For more information, go to www.countyofsb.org/housing/continuumprogram.sbc.
— Gerry Fall
