The pandemic has made the issue of homelessness in the City of Goleta much more urgent, Councilmember James Kyriaco said after the city approved its first-ever Homelessness Strategic Plan on Tuesday. "Our homeless population went from around 100 to 150 or so,” he noted in a conversation after the vote was held.
The plan will help the city direct and coordinate efforts to address homelessness in Goleta and assist those experiencing it. The plan — which was more than two years in the making — states goals to increase access to services for homeless people, reduce the impacts of homelessness on the Goleta community, prevent homelessness among at-risk individuals, and increase the supply of transitional, permanent, and emergency housing.
Kyriaco said this plan represents a vital shift in thinking from a regional approach to a smaller-scale, city-focused one. “What we’re finding is the number of homeless individuals in Goleta is going up, the number of homeless families with children is going up, and the number of families in cars is going up," Kyriaco said. “Homelessness is an issue that is deeply personal for so many of our community members, and it is important that our solutions get it right the first time.”