The homeless (unsheltered population) problem has been festering in our community and virtually every other community in the United States for the last several decades. I can remember that in the 1960s there were scores of “cardboard condos” on Los Angeles’ Skid Row and soup kitchens were abundant in the downtown area.
And decades before that, large caravans of families and individuals fleeing depressed areas of mid-America headed for California and set up their makeshift camps in out-of-the-way places.
In Lompoc as far back as the 1980s, there were homeless camps under the H Street bridge; however, the problem has grown worse to the point that camps exist openly on our streets, and many use ancient motorhomes or their cars as homes. Meanwhile elected leaders keep pointing their fingers elsewhere to fix the problem: “It’s the county’s job to provide mental health, low-income housing, and other social services” is often the response we get.
A regional approach to this problem was needed and begun several years ago; a group of well-intentioned politicians and advocates met several times, but other than talk about it no coherent plan was put together to address the issue. The history was described as part of a City Council hearing on May 4; the staff report says, “The Phase II Community Action Plan to Address Homelessness development process began in October 2019, concluded in January 2021, and included community outreach and input from over 400 community members and key stakeholder groups.”
On page 4 of the plan is a clue as to what to expect: “The Phase II Community Action Plan to Address Homelessness will guide strategic resource decisions and comply with funding resources and other state and federal regulations.” “Resources” is a code word for using your tax money to solve the problem.
So the focus seems to be to obtain state and federal taxpayer-funded grants for more expensive nonprofit housing programs, such as the one just completed in Lompoc, which converted an unused office building to 14 living units at more than $357,000 each (total cost $5 million). Or small, 100-square-foot “pallet shelters” that cost $8,000 each.
The Board of Supervisors adopted the plan, and now the county was seeking buy-in from all the incorporated cities in the county.
There were numerous concerns about joining this plan, uppermost in council members’ minds was the fact that there has been no monetary assistance to clean up the mess left by the homeless. (Oh, I forgot we are supposed to refer to them as an “unsheltered population,” which is a more politically correct way of saying the same thing. Their impact is the same no matter how we refer to them.)
Councilmember Dirk Starbuck correctly pointed out that so far Lompoc has borne the cost of cleaning up several tons of trash transported by the unsheltered masses to the riverbed; and in a related move, an unsanctioned local volunteer group has cleaned up even more solid waste transported from waste containers to the riverbed.
On Feb. 16 of this year, after working to identify and fund a program for five years, the City Council approved a “safe parking” location and a contract for a nonprofit to operate and maintain a property for vehicle-bound homeless folks to help mitigate part of the problem, but as of May 14—three months later—the site didn’t appear to be operational yet.
The stated goal of the phase II plan is to “move from planning to bold action”; it would be encouraging if somehow implementing the plan would mean the end to the unsightly, unhealthy, and serious fire hazards posed by homeless camps, but as Councilmember Victor Vega pointed out, the county “has no skin in the game to help clean up the mess.”
Trash and sleeping unsheltered people in makeshift camps are the most visible signs of the homeless in our city and other areas too. Lawsuits filed by advocates for the nomadic population have resulted in laws requiring “alternative housing” for those taken off the streets and surrounding open space.
One statement in the staff report was troubling to Councilmembers Starbuck and Gilda Cordova: “The adoption of the plan will enhance the city’s efforts to end homelessness and may require city resources such as additional administration by staff, implementation or creation of programs and supportive housing.”
They both openly wondered where the city was going to come up with the money to fund this effort when there are so many other issues to deal with; none of the staff members had an answer.
Either a nonprofit or the city must submit a funding application, and there is no guarantee that a nonprofit would not “import clients” from other areas because they had open beds. Admittedly when the nonprofit-operated shelter out on Sweeny Road just outside of town releases clients who were sent here from other areas of the county, they simply go to the nearby riverbed and set up camps that are clearly visible from the highway.
As Councilmember Vega aptly put it, the county is “putting out the welcome mat” in Lompoc for the unsheltered by offering a service hub in the city.
After more than an hour of debate on May 4, as Councilmember Jeremey Ball reminded the Council that “no plan is perfect,” they decided on a 3-2 vote—with Councilmembers Starbuck and Vega opposing—to support the 104-page Countywide Phase II Community Action Plan to Address Homelessness. Many other cities in the county have also agreed to support this plan.
The staff said that there was no penalty for not supporting the plan. But as one member of the public pointed out, “to not be a part of the plan is putting our heads in the sand.” He was right.
As evidenced by the pace of planning so far, it is clear that government works at a snail’s pace to solve a problem that is growing at warp speed.
Ron Fink writes to the Sun from Lompoc. Send your thoughts, comments, and opinionated letters to letters@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 20-27, 2021.
