Housing, homelessness plan a positive step

When the people assembled in the Butte County Board of Supervisors chambers broke out in a round of applause and cheers Tuesday (Aug. 27) over the panel’s move to tackle the homeless and housing crises head-on, we were right there with them. The decision was a no-brainer, as it will cost the county nothing while providing much-needed oversight to a system that’s long been fragmented.

As we know from the recent Point-in-Time Homeless Count, homelessness is exploding in Butte County. Over the past two years, that population has grown 16 percent—partially due to the Camp Fire, which displaced tens of thousands of residents. But efforts to combat it have been stymied by a lack of leadership. Sure, the Butte Countywide Continuum of Care (CoC) provided some oversight. But, as that body is made up largely of stakeholders volunteering their time outside of their already busy schedules, it has lacked the attention it needs. Finally, the county recognized that.

By implementing HHOME (Homeless & Housing Outreach Management Education), which would include paid county employees working across departments and in concert with local nonprofits, we finally may be able to get a handle on this growing problem. What we find particularly encouraging is the dual focus on addressing homelessness and the lack of housing. Officials have too long looked at the issues separately—by encouraging affordable and low-income development, as well as bolstering behavioral health and social services, we can get people off the streets and keep them there.

As the Jesus Center’s Laura Cootsona said at Tuesday’s meeting, the nonprofit sector is stretched thin and can certainly use the help. We’re encouraged by the program’s intent to support nonprofits that don’t have the expertise or time to write complicated grant proposals—that was a problem earlier this year when the CoC was handing out funding and all but ignored every proposal from Oroville.

The county’s taking a huge step by moving forward with the HHOME program. We believe it’s the right thing to do. We know the state is on board, as Gov. Gavin Newsom recently dedicated millions to tackling homelessness. What we’d like to see next is buy-in from the community. That means representatives from local municipalities, hospitals and other stakeholders recognizing the benefits and pitching in to help it succeed. The potential of HHOME certainly has the CN&R’s vote of approval.