SANTA MONICA—On Thursday, May 5, the city of Santa Monica released results of the homeless count completed in February 2022 indicating a total of 807 homeless individuals. That is 11 percent less than the 907 counted last in January 2020.
The number of homeless include those living in tents, makeshift homes, shelters, vehicles and jails.
https://twitter.com/santamonicacity/status/1507024918025748492?t=SScayvPmVPzEFz99nQYNpg&s=03
“The impacts of homelessness are felt by everyone on our streets every day, and this public health crisis remains a top priority. Housing is limited and too expensive, resources to address behavioral and mental health and substance abuse issues are in short supply, and we are surrounded by the City of Los Angeles on three sides, where the concentration of people experiencing homelessness is substantial,” said City Manager David White in a statement.
“With these challenges, we must continue to urgently deploy a comprehensive strategy that includes providing connections to services and available housing, prevention, enforcement, increasing the supply of affordable housing, legislative advocacy, and regional solutions, and addressing the mental and behavioral health needs of those experiencing homelessness. We hear the concerns being raised and are actively working to respond to this crisis by adding experts to the field and more longer-term solutions like a behavioral health center.”
According to their Twitter page, Santa Monica has community partners such as the Homeless Multidisciplinary Street Team and C3 Teams that play a vital role in providing services to the homeless and other vulnerable individuals.
City officials will present the Homeless Count update to the Santa Monica City Council on Wednesday, May 11, at 6 p.m. The community is invited to provide public comment in person or to submit written comments in advance for the live meeting.
On March 15, Congressman Ted Lieu who represents Santa Monica, announced that he secured $11 million in funding to convert a parking structure into affordable housing.
“The homelessness crisis in America is a national disgrace. We must do more to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness. I’m pleased that the local homelessness projects I advocated for have been included in the FY 2022 government spending package. This funding will go directly toward building housing and providing support for those experiencing homelessness in our district. I will continue to fight for our district in Congress to ensure we receive the federal funding we need to tackle this persistent challenge,” said Congressman Lieu in a statement on his website.
