The Marin County Civil Grand
Jury is calling on county supervisors to show greater leadership responding to
the county’s problem with homelessness. Current leadership and a plan to
address this issue have done little to effectively reduce the problem.
The grand jury says “there is a
moral and economic imperative for the Board of Superivsors to undertake a
strong leadership role to eliminate homelessness in Marin County.”
We agree.
The report was issued at a time
when countywide initiatives have been launched to raise funding for a
countywide plan, including the establishment of a year-round emergency shelter
and services center. Its success is going to require strong leadership and
support from the county, the countywide governmental hub for social services.
The grand jury concludes that
the county’s strategy of supporting a variety of homeless shelters and programs
— though it costs taxpayers about $15.1 milllion per year — is not stemming
homelessness in the county.
Prior grand juries have looked
at the local homeless problem and have reached similar conclusions.
“Fellow Marinites are lying in
doorways, sleeping under freeway overpasses and living in cardboard boxes in
open spaces. How many more are suffering who we cannot see? Is this acceptable
in Marin County?” the grand jury report asks.
The grand jury concluded
Marin’s strategy is “unfocused, decentralized and reactive to the ‘issue of the
day.’”
While presenting a study of the
problem and examples where leadership is needed, the grand jury report does not
offer any specific strategies other than having county supervisors create a
“high-ranking” post to build and implement a “systemic plan” for Marin.
It’s going to take more than
hiring a local homeless czar. The county has been calling on Marin cities to
step up and share the financial responsibility for homeless programs. While
that dialogue continues, community groups have been operating emergency
shelters that rotate among several Marin churches. The rotating shelter has
been in addition to other programs that also provide shelter for homeless men
and women who need a dry, safe and warm place to spend the night. The county
helps fund that program, but organizers say that after seven years of moving
from parish to parish a permanent site is needed.
In January, for instance, the
program provided shelter for around 20 women and 35-40 men every night.
In 2013, San Rafael Mayor Gary
Phillips and then-county Health and Human Services Director Larry Meredith
publicly promised they would work to open a new permanent shelter. To date, no
site has been found, the rotating shelter closed on April 15 and 55-60 homeless
people have to fend for themselves.
If money is the issue, Marin
taxpayers should consider the cost of not having an effective plan in place.
The cost of dealing with chronic alcoholism and drug abuse and the economic
harm the homeless problem costs San Rafael businesses is significant and cannot
be ignored.
But hiring a countywide
homeless czar alone is not going to help if the county Board of Supervisors is
not ready to provide leadership needed to make addressing the issue a top
community priority. It is not an easy issue. There are no clear solutions.
But it is an issue that
requires more than unkept promises or simply money.
In fact, the grand jury said it
could not decipher the costs and benefits of the $15 million the county already
is spending.
This new report calling for
greater leadership is the third time the grand jury has reached that
conclusion. It’s about time the message is heard and heeded.
May
2, 2015
Marin
Independent Journal
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