Grand Jury says county homelessness plan ‘lacks quantifiable goals’
Plan aims for a “whole-of-community effort” to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness by 50% within five years
– The San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury has released a report titled “Moving San Luis Obispo County from Homelessness to Hopefulness,” addressing the ongoing issue of homelessness in the county. The report emphasizes that homelessness is not merely a statistic but a human experience impacting the entire community.
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors identified homelessness as the county’s top issue, launching a plan in 2022 to mobilize resources to address the problem. The Grand Jury’s investigation focused on the actions taken by the county and its cities as outlined in the “San Luis Obispo Countywide Plan to Address Homelessness 2022-2027.” This plan aims for a “whole-of-community effort” to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness by 50% within five years.
The main causes of homelessness in the County were lack of affordable housing, unemployment and underemployment, substance abuse, mental illness, and domestic violence, according to the report.
The SLOCGJ determined that The County’s Plan lacks quantifiable goals that are needed to address the specific strategies being implemented in The County’s Plan. Without specific metrics and conditions that relate to timelines and schedules, it is difficult to know whether The County’s Plan is on track for success. Quantifiable goals are useful to inform the public and elicit public engagement.
The full transcript of the Grand Jury reports is available at https://www.slo.courts.ca.gov/general-information/jury-service/grand-jury (click “reports). This website also provides information on how to apply to become a grand juror and includes the citizen complaint form for the public to submit complaints regarding county issues.
