The Santa Barbara City Council on Tuesday will discuss a pair of proposed contracts to helpt the city respond to homelessness.
The council will be asked to approve a funding agreement for $202,100 with People Assisting the Homeless, also known as PATH, for the operation of a homeless shelter and related services.
In addition, the council will be asked to authorize a funding agreement for $100,000 with Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation to provide administrative oversight and a venue to allow government agencies and nonprofit organizations to coordinate operations in a unified response to homelessness.
Since 1999, PATH (formerly Casa Esperanza) has received an annual allocation of $77,100 to help support emergency winter shelters. In fiscal year 2014-15, Casa Esperanza requested an additional $125,000 due to ongoing financial challenges. The group has received this amount each year since that time. The proposed agreement of $202,100 will combine the winter shelter funding and the $125,000 previously approved by the council, according to a staff report.
In addition to the funding agreement, PATH receives a grant through the Community Development and Human Services Committee grant process, for a total city contribution of $229,297, according to a staff report.
The funds for the agreement were authorized as part of the city’s fiscal 2019-20 budget. City staff is recommending the council formally commit the funds and approve the agreement with PATH.
PATH operates a 100-bed, 24-hour, sobriety-based homeless shelter program, which includes an additional 100-bed winter shelter program from December through March.
The Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation, also known as SB ACT, was founded in 2005. It specializes in building partnerships and serves as a “backbone organization” designed to provide structure for numerous organizations to develop strategies and coordinate operations in response to social needs.
Some of their work includes establishing the Westside Health Collaborative in 2018 to increase health-care services to the city’s Westside and creating the SB Asylum Seekers Support Network.
The proposed project would be administered by SB ACT and an executive steering committee would provide oversight. Smaller working groups will be established to focus on neighborhoods where homeless numbers are highest and to address specific needs, according to a staff report.
As proposed, Mayor Cathy Murillo would chair the collaborative and other city council members would be encouraged to participate.
Among the objectives would be to deliver a quarterly census of the homeless population on State Street from Sola Street and Cabrillo Boulevard, and an annual citywide census.
City staff is recommending the funding the council previously approved under the Central Coast Collaboration on Homelessness – and transitioned to Home for Good in fiscal year 2018-19 – be allocated for homeless coordination under SB Act. A funding request from Home for Good will come to council under a separate agenda report.
Also Tuesday, representatives from Southern California Edison will make a presentation on their practices to reduce fire risk during extreme weather conditions.
Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. at City Hall, 735 Anacapa St.
