KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
In an effort to find permanent housing solutions for homeless veterans, individuals and families in the Santa Clarita Valley, a multi-agency task force is set to survey the community’s homeless population over the next six to eight months, officials said Wednesday.
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Officials with the Santa Clarita-based homeless shelter Bridge to Home joined forces with several other agencies, including the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station and city of Santa Clarita, to conduct their first survey last month.
“We’ve had a real turning point,” said Tim Davis, executive director of Bridge to Home. “This is the first time we have all worked together– sheriff’s, city, county and Bridge to Home– to do an outreach to homeless people.”
Two task force teams visited 10 homeless encampments along the Santa Clara River from Newhall to Canyon County on Oct. 21 to conduct interviews with the goal of identifying individuals in need of permanent housing.
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“We want to find out who these people are, what their names are, what their issues are and to get them connected to the right people with the hope that they get housed,” Davis said “That’s Bridge to Home.”
The next sweep is planned for November somewhere in the Santa Clarita Valley, with the date and location to be determined at a task force meeting scheduled for Thursday.
Additional sweeps will take place at a variety of locations over the next six to eight months.
“This is not a one- or two-time event in the riverbeds,” Davis said. “This is something that we’re going to continue doing for the foreseeable future”
City and county officials have established goals to house all homeless veterans by the end of 2015, and all chronically homeless families and singles by the end of 2016.
In addition to offering assistance to homeless individuals, outreach efforts will also benefit the community, according to Davis.
“This effort will help us identify which individuals are most costly to the community,” he said. “By getting them off the street, this will benefit the community.”
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My son is homeless, couch-surfing, living in his car. How will he be counted?
I know a young woman who lives in her car . is there anywhere that can help her ?
Have lady go to the Bridge to Home Shelter, 23031 Drayton St., at 6 PM any night on or after 24 November, and the shelter staff will take her in and give her a bed. She will be welcome to stay at the shelter until it closes on the morning of 15 March.
The Paseo Club and tennis players are doing a fund-raiser to help the Bridege to Home Shelter on November 30 at 3:30. Stop by and if you play, sign up to play in the round robin. We are calling it Homeful for the Holidays.