In contrast to other California cities, seaside Santa Barbara is successfully reducing its homeless population. Local advocates cite a tight-knit network of service providers.
With a population of 90,000, Santa Barbara isn't one of California's largest urban areas. But its anti-homelessness efforts might prove instructive: "the 2017 [homeless] count revealed that at least 790 homeless people reside in Santa Barbara, down from 1,040 in 2011." Kate Wheeling covers the city's strategy, which involves coordinating a network of service providers through a central organization, the Central Coast Collaborative on Homelessness (C3H).
According to C3H executive director Chuck Flacks, the solution to homelessness isn't a mystery. "It's really about getting to know each of the people on the street, getting to know their needs, getting them into housing, and getting them the services they need to keep them housed."
"'Homeless people are more like a canary in a coal mine,' Flacks said. 'The homeless population tends to reflect some of the things that are broken in a system … mental health, alcohol and drug problems, and lack of housing.'"
FULL STORY: How One Small Town Is Turning a Corner on a Big Homeless Crisis
Homeless Counts Fall Short in Gathering Accurate Statistics
Assessing the scale of homelessness in the United States is surprisingly difficult, with statistics failing to capture the diversity of unhoused people and their situations.
Alternative Analysis Pegs L.A. Homeless Count at Over 100,000
Casting doubt on an official estimate of around 52,000, researchers at a Los Angeles-based nonprofit put the number at close to double that level. That's accounting for anyone who became homeless at some point during the year.
Omaha Homeless Services Providers Struggle to Keep Up
With the worst of winter weather ahead, shelter providers say there are not enough beds to meet the rising rate of homelessness in the city.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service