Ending Santa Barbara County Homelessness

Well, well, well – the beauty and the danger of the blog is that it allows me some free speech and the chance to influence.  Normal people can get their say whether they have power or no power.  I am somewhere in between.  Because of the impact of Common Ground Santa Barbara, the vulnerability index, and how that may help people get housed gives me some influence.

I remember taking a course on “power.”  We all have some level of power – it is whether we use it and how we use it.  And it is those who have some voice, some power, who must speak up for those who do not have much, have little, have none.

Many of our street friends live within that reality of “limited power.”

While I believe that my friends on the streets must also recognize their own power in making decisions toward health (that is a human decision making process we are all involved in), I believe many of them have lost hope or have been beaten down so many times and left by the side of the road.  Think of young men and women un-parented or consider perhaps the fact that 50% of our street friends suffer depression or that there are 300+ with a high diagnosis of mental illness…

Homelessness is complex for sure – we can discuss it some time.

But, here is the truth.   This past year I have been more involved with the professionals and electeds – and I recognize that it those relationships that need to be better oiled with grace and understanding.  I am now including myself in that equation as a member of Common Ground Santa Barbara.  It is how we relate together and work together that will impact whether our friends get housing, needed resources, healthy community.  That also includes the involvement of faith communities and volunteers.

So – mayors, supervisors, shelters, homeless advocates, mental health workers, public health workers, housing authorities, street outreach workers, meal sharers, Jesus Followers, volunteers, police officers, business owners, funders… the list goes on and on… how we work together will determine our success.

We need to consider last year Registry Week and all those it took to successfully converse with over 1,000 street friends and do the Vulnerability index in order to work better to get the sick in housing.  It is great that we could do it for a week, but it will be more difficult to get it done for a year, 3 years, 5 years…

Those with power need to recognize how it influences those without power.

My gut tells me it could swing either way with us housed people.  We are fickle.  We often take our toys and go home.

Here’s to a new year of sticking together I hope.  And, I also hope that the volunteer movement will grow as funds may decrease.  Average people can do great things.