After hearing an annual update on Santa Maria’s homelessness response efforts, 3rd District City Councilmember Gloria Soto echoed many of the concerns she raised last year.
“We need to do more, and I know what’s something we keep reiterating,” Soto said at the council’s Nov. 4 meeting. “I’m deeply worried that our local governments will not be prepared for the influx that we may see in the next two, three years because people are in very real risk of losing housing assistance.”
Soto said she was referring to potential future federal policies she’s worried will cut or reduce housing assistance programs across the country by 2027.
Santa Maria Assistant City Manager Chuen Wu’s 2025 report tallied about 450 individuals experiencing homelessness in Santa Maria, based on January’s point-in-time count, with more than 200 currently sheltered, 160 unsheltered, and 55 living in their vehicles.
Although last year’s point-in-time count was lower, with about 420 individuals experiencing homelessness, the total for people living in their cars was higher at about 100.
After Wu’s presentation, which also outlined some enforcement efforts in the Santa Maria Riverbed, Soto asked to hear any steps city staff has taken to be more “proactive in preventing homelessness” outside of enforcement actions at the riverbed.
“Our work has primarily been on the enforcement side,” said Wu, who clarified that Santa Maria Police Department officers and city rangers who patrol the riverbed always offer to connect homeless individuals with local services, such as the Good Samaritan Shelter, before taking enforcement steps.
Second District City Councilmember Gloria Flores described a recent ride-along she took part in with some Santa Maria city rangers who monitor the riverbed twice a day.
“I was quite impressed with the work,” Flores said. “The way [they] showed the men and women out there compassion.”
While discussing individuals in the riverbed who decline housing or mental health assistance before 72-hour notices to vacate are issued, Soto asked staff “if there’s anything we can do to offer them services that are humane rather than asking them to leave.”
“One thing that came to mind was, I don’t know if we have potable water out there, is that something we could do?” asked Soto, who brought up an example from staff’s presentation that described some individuals making money by taking water from Preisker Park and selling it to other riverbed inhabitants.
Soto said she would like to continue that conversation at a future meeting.
Before the end of the discussion, Mayor Alice Patino directed staff to draft a letter about riverbed efforts to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors that she intends to personally deliver.
“I have no problem going to the Board of Supervisors … and saying we really need your help. This is not just for Santa Maria to do,” Patino said. “These people are living in San Luis Obispo County and impacting our city.”
One part of Wu’s riverbed presentation outlined jurisdiction boundaries between the city of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, and San Luis Obispo County. He said a memorandum of understanding on riverbed monitoring and enforcement funding between the three jurisdictions is close to the final review stage.
“There’s just some final edits that need to be made, but Santa Barbara County has committed to contributing 50 percent of the cost of the rangers monitoring the riverbed,” Wu said. “Santa Barbara County [has] kind of been the liaison between ourselves and San Luis Obispo County, but more direct engagement would help, so we’ll do that.”
This article appears in Nov 13 – Nov 20, 2025.