CityofGoletaSource: City of Goleta
The City of Goleta is one step closer to adopting its first-ever Homelessness Strategic Plan (Plan). The Final Plan was recently reviewed by the Homelessness Issues Standing Committee and will be considered for adoption by the Goleta City Council at the April 20, 2021, meeting. The Plan is now available for review here. Once adopted, the document will help guide and coordinate efforts to prevent and address homelessness within the City of Goleta, and particularly, funding decisions related to homelessness initiatives and grants for non-profit service providers that focus on the homeless.
“We are very pleased to be able to share the City’s Final Homelessness Strategic Plan with the public,” said City of Goleta Neighborhood Services Interim Director Jaime Valdez. He added, “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.”
Community input has been an essential part of the development of the Plan. The City has held numerous public meetings and released a survey to hear directly from those with input on homelessness in our 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.
City Council and staff believe having a strategic plan will provide important direction and clarity around needs, service gaps, and priorities in order to make effective and strategic funding decisions that serve both the existing homeless population, as well as those at risk of becoming homeless. We are grateful for the public’s input and interest in this important effort.
Learn more and review the Final Plan at https://tinyurl.com/GoletaHomelessnessPlan.
Very true, this is the not the “first plan”.
Goleta did a homeless survey years ago.
In addition there have been several countywide research and initiatives that involved people who are homeless for input as well as the Jon profits.
Since the 80s our govt has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars that has gone into the hands of “researchers”
In the end the answer is skyways the same. No new information, yet they need to “research” & implement “first time ever” plans.
Anyone call BS on this stuff?
IMHO I don’t think govt wants to tackle this issue. It’s a lot of hard work snd it will offend people to help people. Tough love. So they kept putting money into pockets they don’t actually help the homeless but it had good optics.
This endless cycle of “plans,” “commissions,” and “studies” is mostly a way for local politicians to avoid responsibility. Although it had a morbid subject matter, the “South Coast Gang Task Force” was an example of this government gymnastics when I was in law enforcement. Tacking a name into something does little to change budgets or facts on the ground. Gangs were a problem long before, but it took a stabbing in front of Saks to get the powers that be to clutch their pearls and act concerned. Similarly with homelessness, local leaders need to be seen doing something, but don’t have the budget, legal standing and/or political support to take solid actions or make plans themselves. The out-of-town eggheads state what is obvious to locals, usually outline modest cosmetic steps, a few are done, then victory is declared. If you want a good laugh, check out the report on SB downtown businesses commissioned for close to $100k. The authors are intelligent but it’s clear they have never lived in SB.