As homelessness rates continue to surge state-wide, the City of Goleta is tackling its share of the crisis in its eight-mile stretch of Santa Barbara County.
The city held its first open house Wednesday to hear ideas to help solve homelessness from Goleta residents and business owners. Organizations like Peoples’ Self-Help Housing, New Beginning’s Safe Parking Program, Showers of Blessing, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and a handful of others set up booths to interact one-on-one with attendees.
“The feedback from the community so far has been so compassionate,” said the event’s organizer, Dominique Samario, from Goleta’s Neighborhood Services and Public Safety Department. “The question I keep getting asked is if we [the City of Goleta] have spoken with the homeless and asked them what they need."