HomeMy WebLinkAboutBudget_HomelessnessFunding_20180612City of San Luis Obispo, Office of the City Council, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3249, 805.781.7114, slocity.org
June 12, 2018
Senator Holly Mitchell
Senate Budget Conferee
Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol, Rm. 5080
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 651-4930
Senator Nancy Skinner
Senate Budget Conferee
Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol, Rm. 2059
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 651-4909
Senator Richard Roth
Senate Budget Conferee
Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol, Rm. 4034
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 651-4931
Senator John Moorlach
Senate Budget Conferee
Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol, Rm. 2048
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 651-4937
Senator Jim Nielsen
Senate Budget Conferee
Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol, Rm. 2068
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 651-4904
Assembly Member Philip Ting
Assembly Budget Conferee
Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol, Rm. 6026
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 319-2119
Assembly Member Joaquin Arambula
Assembly Budget Conferee
Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol, Rm. 5155
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 319-2131
Assembly Member Richard Bloom
Assembly Budget Conferee
Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol, Rm. 2003
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 319-2150
Assembly Member Rocky Chávez
Assembly Budget Conferee
Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol, Rm. 2170
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 319-2176
Assembly Member Jay Obernolte
Assembly Budget Conferee
Budget Conference Committee
State Capitol, Rm. 4116
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 319-2133
RE: Support for Homelessness Funding
The Honorable Senate and Assembly Conferees of the Budget Conference Committee:
The City of San Luis Obispo strongly encourages you to prioritize and support, in the final
FY 2018-19 State Budget, significant new funding to assist cities’ efforts to address the
homelessness crisis that is affecting nearly every region of the state.
After steady declines in homelessness between 2007-2014, California has seen an unfortunate
spike in homelessness, with a significant increase in the number of unsheltered people in our
communities. Domestic violence, lack of affordable housing and livable wage employment
opportunities, woefully inadequate mental health and addiction treatment services, and the
cost of health care have also pushed individuals into homelessness. Even our small City
currently has more than 400 homeless individuals in need of housing and services.
The human toll of homelessness is devastating and apparent any time you visit our City’s
downtown and most certainly in the areas surrounding the creeks that run throughout our
community. In addition to the direct human toll, the escalation of homelessness has strained
our local law enforcement resources, courts, shelters, faith-based organizations, and has
generated ongoing concerns regarding impacts on the City’s downtown business areas and
tourist economy, as well as the environmental and water quality impacts of encampments and
waste accumulation in and along the City’s creeks.
It is clear that homelessness is a statewide problem that eludes a one-size-fits-all solution.
This is why cities and are at the forefront of responding to this crisis. However, cities cannot
adequately address the homelessness crisis alone. State resources are desperately needed to
bolster local services and programs targeting homelessness. Cities in particular need a direct
allocation of flexible funding that can be used for emergency responses to homelessness that
include shelters, navigation centers, bridge housing, motel vouchers and trained staff to assist
individuals in connecting with the programs and services that will help them transition out of
homelessness.
In 2017-18 the City of San Luis Obispo invested over $900,000 in solutions to address
homelessness, including contributions to our local homeless shelter and women’s shelter,
removal of 25 tons of trash from our parks, open space and creek areas, responding to over
300 emergency medical calls involving homeless individuals, and funding a two officer Police
Community Action Team that focuses primarily on proactive outreach, coordination with our
County courts and social services partners, and responds to community calls for service
involving homeless individuals. With increasingly constrained local resources and ever-
increasing demands allocation of the funding contained in the State Budget is imperative to
the continuation and enhancement of the City’s support of real solutions for homelessness.
State funding for local homelessness programs is extremely important to ensure quality of life
and economic viability for all Californians. The City of San Luis Obispo strongly encourages
you to maximize homelessness program funding, while also providing a direct allocation of
flexible funding that can be used immediately by cities for emergency responses to
homelessness. We look forward to continuing to work with you and stakeholders on the final
budget proposal.
Sincerely,
Heidi Harmon
Mayor
City of San Luis Obispo.
cc: The Honorable Edmond G. Brown, Jr., Governor, State of California; FAX: (916) 558-3177
The Honorable Toni G. Atkins, President pro Tempore, California State Senate; FAX: (916) 651-4939
The Honorable Anthony Rendon, Speaker, California State Assembly; FAX: (916) 319-2163
San Luis Obispo City Council
State Senator Bill Monning, fax (916) 651 – 4917
State Assembly Member Jordan Cunningham, fax (916) 319-2135
Dave Mullinax, League of California Cities, dmullinax@cacities.org
Meg Desmond, League of California Cities, cityletters@cacities.org