On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the awarding of $199 million to help move more than 7,000 people statewide out of encampments, and into housing.
The funds are being dispersed across 22 communities in California, one of those being Santa Barbara County and its Santa Maria Riverbed.
The area is home to encampments for the city’s unsheltered population and in turn, the state is taking action.
“We know the solution to homelessness. It is shelter, services and affordable housing, and this grant will help make that possible,” said Lucille Boss, encampment response coordinator for the County of Santa Barbara.
Boss says in total, $6 million has been awarded to Santa Barbara County, which will go toward providing resources and housing for about 250 unsheltered individuals from Santa Maria down to Carpinteria.
“This funding will support specialized outreach teams, including mental health practitioners and substance abuse disorder specialists to accompany case managers and housing navigators out in the field, and will also support interim and permanent housing,” Boss told KSBY.
Meanwhile, neighbors walking the Santa Maria Riverbed trail Friday, say seeing various encampments along their strolls is nothing new.
“I live just over there, and always see many people who don’t have homes,” said Mary Gomez.
“There are encampments. I see them go down by the river sometimes. Sometimes, I see them cross over the walkway on their bikes,” added Rachelle Fraire.
Fraire says Santa Barbara County’s efforts to find shelter and housing for the riverbed’s unsheltered population would help her feel safer on her walks along the trail.
Meanwhile, Mary Gomez adds that following the impacts of this winter’s rains, right now, help for the homeless is needed more than ever.
“When it rains on the people here, the water rises and destroys the place. It destroys their homes,” she said.
Lucille Boss says in the coming weeks, qualifying agencies can apply for the newly acquired state funding, where roughly $3 million will be designated for supporting specialized outreach teams, and the other half for interim and permanent housing options.
Additionally, just over $13 million of those state funds will be going to San Luis Obispo County for encampment efforts near the Bob Jones Trail.
