Concerns have been raised about the decision by PATH Santa Barbara (formerly Casa Esperanza) to alter its Winter Shelter program. Much of the news coverage has been negative and did not include important background. First and foremost, homelessness is a housing issue — basically, the lack of affordable housing. Second, government and philanthropic funding for homeless shelter services, other than achieving employment and short-term housing, has been redirected to permanent housing solutions. The national mantra for dealing with homelessness is “housing first” — permanent housing with services, not shelter. Permanent winter shelter operations such as the former Casa Esperanza model are viewed as institutions that perpetuate homelessness, and some of these views are valid. Santa Barbara’s Freedom Warming Centers, which provide winter shelter for the homeless, offer a far better approach as they function largely through the support of faith communities and “pop up” only when the weather warrants them; PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) is part of the Freedom Warming Centers collaboration.
Casa/PATH’s Winter Shelter operation was a short-term response to homelessness and did nothing to end long-term homelessness in Santa Barbara. Ending homelessness is PATH’s objective. It will shelter those who need it but will not stop at basic needs. PATH wants to help people make it home.
Before transferring the Casa operation to PATH, the undersigned former Casa Esperanza boardmembers learned a great deal. While local government officials, advocates for the homeless, business leaders, donors, and other compassionate individuals wanted Casa to “do it all under one roof” (a health clinic, lunch program, respite care for homeless people leaving the hospital, year-round shelter, and emergency winter shelter), the roof was simply not large enough, and funders were redirecting their resources to permanent housing solutions for the homeless, not short-term programs.