19 hours ago
Yolo County grand jury report finds homelessness is up, not enough being done to address it
A recent Yolo County grand jury report found that not enough is being done to address the growing homeless population countywide.
The county's most recent Point in Time (PIT) count revealed that homelessness is up 26% from 2022, a concerning trend.
The report also found that the county's Homelessness and Poverty Action Commission, created to help streamline the county's homeless response, has 'fallen short' of its intended purpose and the actions today do not reflect the county's 2023-2026 strategic plan to address homelessness at the more than midway point of the ambitious timeline for improvements.
"Its lack of effective coordination has hindered the county's overarching goal of a unified and impactful approach. Compounding this challenge is the absence of dedicated Yolo County funding specifically allocated to facilitate this crucial collaborative function," the grand jury report reads.
So how are cities responding?
Local faith leaders in Davis say that critical investments are needed to help the homeless, arguing that they feel the city relies too much on faith-based organizations to help the homeless without any city funding.
"We've seen an increase in need from year to year to year," said Shoshana Zatz, president of HEART of Davis.
HEART is a faith-based nonprofit running only on donations and volunteers to help serve the city's homeless population.
"Unfortunately, the services that exist in Yolo County and specifically in Davis just cannot serve them all... can't keep up," said Zatz.
The group right now runs a pilot program for "safe parking," and their permit from the city was just extended through the end of the year.
HEART is able to offer the unhoused a spot to sleep in their cars overnight.
To Zatz's shock, all of the program's current participants are seniors.
"It's like your grandma, thinking about your grandma living in her car. It's tragic, really," said Zatz.
In the grand jury report, investing in more safe parking sites countywide is one of many recommended responses to help address the upward trend of homelessness across Yolo County.
Yolo County's cities were given 90 days to respond to the report.
At Davis' City Council meeting Tuesday night, multiple people brought up homeless help in public comment.
"Like a parking lot, a campground so people can transition from outside life," one man said at the podium, suggesting help for the unhoused.
Council declined to take up a discussion on the grand jury report Tuesday night, but they did unanimously approve their official response.
In it, the city pointed to HEART of Davis' parking program as part of the solution, writing, "While the pilot is still in its early stages, initial observations suggest that it offers a stable, safer environment for individuals residing in their vehicles while they work toward longer-term housing."
Zatz says the grand jury report hit the nail on the head and more has to be done countywide to serve the homeless.
It starts with an investment in affordable housing, she says, if the crisis is to be addressed meaningfully.
"There is a lack of communication and coordination. There is quite a bit of duplicated effort and wasted time and energy where we should all be working as one," said Zatz.
Other recommended actions by the grand jury countywide include that the Board of Supervisors take a more active leadership role in addressing homelessness and that the county needs a dedicated mental health outreach team to help the unhoused.
On a positive note, the report praised Paul's Place in Davis for its supportive housing services for the homeless.
