Our plans for a homeless shelter showed some serious disconnects during the last meeting of the San Benito County Board of Supervisors. If those problems are not identified, attacked, and solved before we make major, irrevocable, decisions we risk taking too much time, spending too much money for what we get, and ending up with an ineffective program. We need a timeout a new attitude to get it right.
If there was ever a subject that demanded the wholehearted cooperation and goodwill from the cities, county, volunteers, and residents, this is it. However, it is obvious that the necessary level of teamwork, agreement, and planning is not in place as critical decision points approach.
Everyone has skin in this game because everyone is at risk—if you’re not at risk of being homeless, then you are certainly at risk from the impact of widespread homelessness on the community. Successful programs not only help the homeless, they also help the community, so there is a lot of self-interest; unfortunately, the opposite is also true. Failed programs poison the water and add to the public’s cynicism.
I am not going to go into detail on who said what, but there were more than ample indications that there is a lack of communication, different approaches, concepts and goals. No single entity can be the lead on this program; the lead needs to be a balanced representative public/private committee that has only one goal—finding the best answers considering all the variables, inputs, resources, and possibilities. There is no “right answer” because there isn’t enough money or time or other resources to fix this very complex problem, but there is always a best answer at any particular time.
Step one is that the politics and the associated infighting has to go out the window and every portion of the community will have to do their fair share. We simply cannot unload the massive burden only on the volunteers or the community that lives near the shelter, the places the homeless hang out during the day, or who are unlucky enough to live near what we euphemistically call an “encampment”—wherever it may be.
I am pessimistic about beating homelessness, especially in California where housing prices are unaffordable even for many of the employed. However, we can make things better or at least try to prevent them from getting worse, both worthwhile goals. But to do so requires some real work and cooperation. The principals must sit down, gather the facts on resources and make some tough choices. Then they have to sell those choices to their colleagues, organizations, and constituents.
Ultimately, Hollister has to have a big say in any decision, cities are where the homeless congregate and where the impacts are always going to be the greatest; the county cannot impose a solution simply because they funnel the state and federal funds. A lack of cooperation risks widening the dangerous chasm that already exists between Hollister and San Benito County hurting everyone, especially the people we all want to help.
