As SLO homeless population grows, leaders search for solutions. What’s being done to help?
In response to a growing homeless population in San Luis Obispo, business, city and community leaders are adopting a multi-faceted approach to help reduce the number of people living on the streets.
That includes several existing programs as well as some new efforts.
“Homelessness is growing all over the state and nation,” San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon said. “We all need to be part of the solution to solve this problem, which is deep and wide.”
Because of that, she said, a wide variety of responses are needed.
“There needs to be more than 400 programs for the more than 400 unsheltered people in our city because of each of their unique situations,” Harmon said.
SLO County offers resources to help homeless population
San Luis Obispo County’s Social Services department is one of the primary resources for people living on the streets — supplying food stamps, workforce development, medical assistance and foster care programs, among comprehensive forms of aid.
The county also has behavioral health and homeless services, offering drug and alcohol addiction treatment, mental illness counseling and housing program solutions.
The 2021-2022 county budget includes about $173 million toward health and human service programs that unhoused residents are often eligible for, along with a number of countywide residents, said Carolyn Berg, the county’s principal analyst for housing and infrastructure
Those include CalWORKS, a temporary cash assistance program for needy families, and Cal Fresh, a nutritional assistance program for low-income residents.
The 2021-2022 SLO County budget included about $11.3 million for programs and projects that directly address homelessness, with funding for key programs such as the Community Action Teams, which include social worker outreach, and the 70 Now Program, which aims to house chronically unsheltered residents, Berg said.
The county’s allocation also helps “local community-based organizations providing support to homeless individuals and families (such as case management or street outreach to connect unhoused residents to appropriate services), direct rapid rehousing assistance to families, and various other initiatives,” Berg said.
Funding for county homeless services comes from local, state and federal sources.
Before the county supervisors adopted the budget in June, Berg said supervisors considered homelessness “among the short list of top priorities.”
On Tuesday, Berg and Laurel Weir, the county’s homeless services coordinator, will “present a recommendation that the board approve approximately $1.5 million to supplement regional efforts with additional homeless initiatives,” Berg said in an email Thursday.
San Luis Obispo City Council member Jan Marx said that she’s calling on the Board of Supervisors to increase the resources it dedicates to homelessness, particular in the city of SLO, which has the most documented unhoused.
“I would like to see the supervisors step up financially and otherwise to take steps to try to help in our urban areas like SLO,” Marx said. “The city doesn’t receive state or federal funding, as the county does, and we can apply for grants, but a lot of what we’re doing is a workaround to assemble the resources we need.”
Harmon agreed that the county needs to step up its response, and citizens should also reach out to county officials on issues that relate to SLO.
“I would encourage those who are concerned about issues related to the unhoused to address those comments to the county as well as to us,” Harmon said.
“I also think we need to embrace a tax structure in which people pay for their fair share of services, as well as get away from a culture of rugged individualism and (toward) one more (of) love, care and concern,” she said. “Government alone can’t solve this. We’re all part of the problem to solve.”
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SLO identifies housing the homeless as major city goal
The San Luis Obispo City Council has identified housing and homelessness as one of its major city goals, and has set forth an approach to “reduce homelessness in collaboration with the state, county, regional agencies and local nonprofit organizations,” according to its 2021-23 budget report.
Codron said that homeless-related calls for service make up about 25% of all of city police response duties, and 34% of calls in the downtown area are in response to homeless issues.
The city is spending $1.13 million for new resources directly on affordable housing and homelessness in 2021-22 and $1.07 million in 2022-23. That’s in addition to $2.3 budget in ongoing spending for housing and homeless needs, as part of the two-year cycle.
“In this last budget, the city has invested the highest amount of resources to homelessness than we’ve ever had,” said Michael Codron, San Luis Obispo’s community development director.
San Luis Obispo’s new homeless services budgeting pays for a new mobile crisis unit to respond to homeless needs, a 25% expansion of 40 Prado Homeless Services Center, and more social worker resources, in addition to funding for the inclusionary housing program, which includes requiring larger projects to set aside deed-restricted homes for low income people based on income levels.
In its overall housing allocations, the city set aside $11 million in 2021-22 and $27 million in 2022-23 to boost housing opportunities downtown and in neighborhoods, as well as addressing homeless challenges and creek cleanup.
Harmon said she’s proud of San Luis Obispo’s efforts to boost its homeless service programs, she said, adding that without a social services department the city’s resources are limited.
“The people who complain the city needs to solve this don’t understand the complexities of the issue,” Harmon said. “If a federal government that spends trillions on the military industrial complex doesn’t provide adequate funding for social services, counties and cities don’t have the budgets to address these issues. The budget is an expression of values.”
Codron noted that the city provides municipal services, but said “social services are a function of the county as a subdivision of the state.”
“And so the conduit for funding for mental health and behavioral health resources that come to our communities to address some of the direct and tangential issues around homelessness are resources that are held by the county,” Codron said. “And how they are spent and how they’re allocated are determined through those processes, and that’s where advocacy comes in.”
Codron told The Tribune that “meaningful change requires a coordinated regional effort, and the SLO City Council and County Board of Supervisors recognize that.”
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SLO County agencies collaborate
New city initiatives in recent months have included the hiring of a San Luis Obispo homeless response manager, Kelsey Nocket, and collaborations on efforts to adopt a new countywide 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.
The county’s existing 10-year planning document was approved in 2008.
“My role has been up to this point to understand our local stakeholders at the city level, what gaps exist, and how we can streamline our communication,” Nocket said in June.
Berg said the county, cities and nonprofit organizations all demonstrate “willingness and dedicated resources going towards the challenges.”
“We’re focusing this year on how do we unite more strongly all of those efforts across the region and how do we focus on the highest-priority needs,” Berg said in June. “Moving forward, there is a limited set of resources coming in from state and federal governments. So all of our local agencies are really just trying to see how do we focus in together and make the biggest impact we can on each given year.”
The county plans to expand safe parking sites throughout the region to help vehicle-based homeless residents, and pilot a program that involves working with homeless people living in encampments to provide access to waste hauling and needle collections, Berg said.
The county’s Homeless Services Oversight Council meets regularly to discuss policies and planning around homeless outreach and services, compiling and monitoring data.
“The main concern with encampment sites is we don’t want that to become a state of permanence,” Nocket said. “So we’re looking at other solutions that can move people towards a better standard of living.”
Earlier this year, the Housing Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo received 156 emergency housing vouchers to subsidize the costs of placing qualified recipients in homes.
HASLO’s new Welcome Home program offers cash bonuses to landlords to encourage rental property owners to house the community’s most vulnerable, who are referred through agency partners.
It offers incentives to property owners to accept Section 8 clients, with sign-on bonuses of as much as $4,000, and guarantees of partial rent and funds for any damages above security deposits, according to county officials.
“HASLO is available to address issues with the tenancy, acting as a landlord liaison,” the program’s website notes.
Homeless services coordinators look for possible solutions
Local homeless services coordinators are reviewing initiatives that have been adopted elsewhere in the state and nation.
Some advocates have suggested a creating a new regional campsite for the unhoused, converting hotels or motels for use by homeless people or building a tiny home village such as the one set up by the city of Los Angeles to house 200 people.
“A regional campground would need to be carefully considered and might not be the best option, because it might not be used adequately,” Harmon said, explaining that some unhoused people avoid congregate living situations. “Programs like motel vouchers that other cities use are great, but we don’t have the motel stock here in the city limits to do that.”
Nocket said that a program like a tiny home village or campground requires study and assurance it will be used and well-planned out.
“We’re keeping tabs on what’s happening, and we’re interviewing people who are part of the unhoused community about what happens after a short-term program ends, which is a stated concern of unhoused individuals,” Nocket said. “They can be reluctant to move into a transitional shelter other than a tent because the concern is what happens after this goes away. We want to provide those answers up front because that’s a deep concern.”
In San Luis Obispo, the city has established a pilot program for a safe parking zone at Railroad Square for overnight use. There’s also a safe parking zone on 40 Prado’s lot.
Codron acknowledged the Railroad Square site hasn’t been used as much as expected, and city officials have heard some consider the security cameras installed for safety reasons to be invasive.
“The Railroad Square parking lot is for anybody who wants to go and park,” Codron said. “It’s an opportunity then for people who are parked there for us to be able to do some outreach and identify folks who might be candidates for the 40 Prado location to try to help. ... It’s a great resource, and we’re working to see how we can get more people to use it.”
Initially the city didn’t allow motor homes there, but it has since permitted them.
Codron said it’s a good example of how a government-provided facility may not receive much interest from the houseless.
“It’s hard to say what the different barriers are until we dive in and figure that out,” Codron said.
Weir said the county is looking at a “wide range of options.”
“We are using the regional framework process, and the Homelessness Oversight Council is working on its 10-year plan,” Weir said.
How does 40 Prado Homeless Services Center work?
40 Prado Homeless Services Center, which opened in San Luis Obispo in September 2018, is one option for unhoused people in the San Luis Obispo area.
But some in the homeless community say the facility, operated by nonprofit group Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, is too strict with rules, understaffed and turns too many people away.
“It’s like a jail because of the rules,” said Carley Creath, a homeless advocate who lives in a RV on a friend’s property, previously living on the streets. “I think there has some pretty obnoxious rules. I was told to move my car to the street (from the Prado parking lot) and I have walking disabilities...I just think in general they’re not being treated with kindness and care.”
But center leaders defend its services, saying that 40 Prado must maintain standards of behavior, protecting the vulnerable, while also keeping a record of a people they help.
Besides beds, the center offers meals, showers, laundry, mail/phone services, access to case management, and more.
Grace McIntosh, the shelter’s recently departed director, previously told The Tribune that the shelter will not accept people who are blatantly belligerent, inebriated or threatening — to protect the safety of children and others — and they had to limit some intake numbers for social distancing at times.
Jack Lahey, CAPSLO’s new homeless services director, came from the Los Angeles area where he served in homeless service roles, most recently as senior director of housing stabilization with the nonprofit L.A. Family Housing.
Before that, Lahey worked at Skid Row Housing Trust, as well as in a research coordinator role at University of Southern California (USC), working on National Institute of Health projects.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lahey said that 40 Prado implemented safety protocols requiring people to show a form of identification that they were San Luis Obispo County residents — such as a California Department of Motor Vehicles form they could get the same day.
As of June 15, the facility lifted the requirements that they are a county or city resident, Lahey said, adding they still have a prioritization system.
But due to a recent COVID outbreak, all local shelters (40 Prado and ECHO in Atascadero) are not allowing new intake as mandated by SLO County Public Health.
While 5 Cities Homeless Coalition is not doing services intake in-person, they are continuing to provide services to new clients over the phone.
“In light of shelter closures, the city is not taking enforcement action against individuals remaining at encampment sites who do not have alternatives available while local shelter options are unavailable,” said Codron, in an email Thursday. “For those with access to a vehicle, the city encourages use of the Safe Parking Program at Railroad Square. The Community Action Team (CAT) is continuing outreach and connecting individuals to available services (mental health assessment, transport to medical facilities, family reunification services, identification procurement, transitional housing resource connections, etc.)“
40 Prado has seen more than 30 positive COVID-19 cases since July 26, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department.
The city is strongly encouraging everyone who’s medically able to get a vaccine, with information at recoverslo.org, Codron said.
Paneling process monitors behavioral issues
During normal times, if the beds are filled, the shelter gives preference to locals, frail people and others in need such as women and children — and visitors still need to have some form of ID to know who they’re working with and to review any past disciplinary records.
Lahey said guests can be blocked from entry for a period of time if they demonstrate belligerent or dangerous behavior, which can be associated with substance abuse.
But the shelter has what’s called a “paneling process” that can be used for consideration about letting them back in.
“They can fill out a form that says, ‘Hey, I acknowledge that this thing happened or that this is the reason why I’m not able to receive services at this moment, and we’ll ask, ‘What have you done to correct the issue?’ And they’ll write in what they’re working on,” Lahey said. “If they show they’re trying and willing to try harder with our support, we could take them back in on a case-by-case basis.”
“It’s tricky because it’s a limited resource so, when we get to capacity, we do have to be careful about our criteria to make sure we are prioritizing in the right way,” he added.
Lahey said inebriated guests can be contacted at the door, and if they’re not determined to be dangerous, they can be directed to a bed, and the next day staff could help connect them with treatment and addiction programs.
At full staffing, 40 Prado could serve 124 people. But the organization is currently short-staffed and unable to meet full capacity, Lahey said.
“To have over 100 folks would be a lot and wouldn’t be safe to move beyond our staff capacity, but we’re looking to hire and get up to full speed,” Lahey said on July 20 before the recent outbreak that has prompted shelter facilities throughout San Luis Obispo County to halt intake and institute rapid testing.
Detox center planned at 40 Prado campus
A new $1.67 million detoxification center is under construction on the 40 Prado campus, with plans to launch later this month. It’s set to become the first treatment facility of its kind for homeless and low-income people in San Luis Obispo County.
The new Medically Assisted Withdrawal Treatment Center at 34 Prado is designed to meet widespread community needs by serving low-income county residents ages 18 to 64.
“There are a lot of people struggling with substance use and mental health challenges,” McIntosh said in April while announcing the new facility. “The (detox center) couldn’t have come at a better time. It provides access the care and services this population so desperately needs.”
While CAPSLO is managing the detox facility project, San Luis Obispo County will administer services to clients on site, coordinators say.
Other solutions for ending homelessness
San Luis Obispo activist Becky Jorgeson established Hope’s Village of SLO to offer showers, lunches and RVs to the unhoused.
“There are a lot of people struggling out there and not enough being done to help,” Jorgeson said. “Some people have died of poor health, some from suicide, some overdosed.”
Jorgeson has long lobbied for land that could be used to set up a tiny home park for the unhoused in the region.
“That’s long overdue, and we need to make that happen,” she said. “It makes sense, and it can be done with the right commitment. I don’t care who does it or manages it. But it should be a priority.”
Jorgeson said that she believes city and county government jurisdictions in recent months have cracked down on homeless unfairly through ticketing and by periodically clearing open spaces, and should instead be more willing to embrace new campground or tiny home solutions.
“They set up our homeless people up to fail,” Jorgeson said. “They provide them nowhere safe to be and then ticket and arrest them making them criminals ... unconscionable.”
Homeless advocate Tim Waag said the 70 Now Program for housing the chronically unsheltered — formerly called 50 Now — is a viable solution but extreme difficult to get into.
“For the chronically homeless, there is no permanent housing solution that I am aware of,” Waag said in a blog. “Until we can offer housing and services to our ‘Street People,’ we should be providing humanitarian services to people living in the creeks and river beds and under our bridges.”
”In our relatively affluent society, we should be able to provide a roof overhead, dry bedding, food, and basic medical services to all of our unhoused residents,” Waag added. “‘In place’ humanitarian services would include bathrooms, hand-washing stations, showers, trash collection, sanitary cooking facilities, basic living shelters and lockable storage.”
‘Economic roots’ of homelessness
Lahey said that homelessness often has economic roots, which can lead to addiction and exacerbation of mental illness.
“Mental health and substance issues are very present, but if you really go back to the root causes, usually you see that there are cascading events because these folks were low-income, or right on the edge to begin with, and if there was a better safety net or a better social system in that person’s life, they might be sleeping on Grandma’s coach, not the bench over here,” Lahey said.
“Once people get on the street, it’s hard to get back into housing because you develop coping mechanisms and tactics and ways to just maintain on the street which are very different and almost diametrically opposed to how to maintain in housing, Lahey added.
“‘How do I stay safe on the streets?’ is really different than ‘How do I keep my apartment?’ ” he explained. “If you’re out long enough, you learn, ‘That’s the way I need to operate.’ ”
Creath agreed that transitioning to housing can be challenging.
“Some people are just different,” she said. “They have been homeless for so long, they don’t know how to function in a four-wall room. They’re claustrophobic. Unless you’ve been there and done it, it’s hard to understand. It’s really, really hard to get off the streets.”
Creath said that not as many people drink or do drugs or suffer from mental illness as the public sometimes perceives. Often, money is the biggest challenge.
“Nobody wants to take you in with a history of being homeless,” Creath said. “And often it’s a money thing.”
That’s why, Lahey said, “There have to be multiple ways to solve the issue.”
“There are 50 pathways into homelessness,” he said. “And there has to be multiple pathways out.”
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
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