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First District Supervisor Das Williams — A Home For Everyone

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2024 • Comments Off

A Home For Everyone

Recently my family and I had the chance to furnish one of the 80 new units at La Posada, the newest temporary shelter project at the former County Juvenile Hall. This project is just the latest in our efforts to help those experiencing homelessness get off the streets and into housing.

At the Board of Supervisors meeting last week, we got good news and bad news. The good news is, through our outreach and housing efforts, we ended homelessness for 1,400 people in our County last year. The bad news is, the overall rate of homelessness increased last year, with the number of people reporting it was their first time experiencing homelessness reaching an all-time high. While we are making good progress at bringing more shelter units online, the heartbreaking fact is that more and more people are newly falling into homelessness each year.

This is why our efforts to create more housing opportunities are so important. In communities with lower housing costs, things like a job loss, a divorce, or a medical episode are terrible things – but only in communities like ours, where housing is so scarce and costs are so high, do these things so often lead to homelessness.

A welcome card for our neighbor from my daughters.

Housing Element Update Rezone Hearings

Fri. May. 3, 2024, starting at 9:00 AM, at the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room at 105 E. Anapamu, Santa Barbara (entrance on Anacapa St.):

The board letter (staff report) is available here. (It is the same Board Letter as the 4/30 Board letter).

To watch the hearing and/or participate virtually click here, scroll down to the hearing date, click on the agenda for instructions.

Instructions and links to watch the hearing and/or participate via Zoom are on the 2nd page of the agenda.

There are no specific deadlines for written public comments. The Office of the Clerk of the Board accepts and distributes written comments right up to the moment the item is being heard. Written comments may be mailed to the Clerk of the Board, 105 E. Anapamu St., Fourth Floor, Room 407, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 or may be emailed to sbcob@countyofsb.org.

Visit the County’s website for more information and links to documents.

3CE Brings New Solar Power Online

Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is excited to announce our fourth solar-and-storage project began delivering renewable energy to Central Coast customers this month. The Victory Pass project will generate 100 MW of power and add 25 MW of energy storage, enough to power over 60,000 homes.

As the current Chair of Central Coast Community Energy, I have found that not many people know that California’s grid is often close-to or all renewable already for much of the day (indeed as I write this the grid is 105% renewable) until around 5:00 pm, when it becomes much dirtier and more expensive as demand peaks and the sun goes down. That’s why the battery storage component of this project is also so important. It keeps us apace to meet our goal of 100% carbon-free energy by 2030.

Learn More

Wildfire Evacuation Workshop

May 18th, 9:30am-2:00pm

Santa Barbara City College, West Campus

Business Communication Forum

The Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council is putting on a Wildfire Evacuation and Survival Workshop at Santa Barbara City College on May 18th, 2024.

The event will take place from 9:30am-2:00pm inside of the Business Communication Forum at Santa Barbara City College’s West Campus. There is no cost of admission and there will be food and prizes!

This workshop will empower the Santa Barbara community with the knowledge to make critical decisions during wildfire evacuations. We will be providing in depth discussion and consultation from the relevant experts that community members have so long asked for.

RSVP required, click HERE

Learn More

Das Around Town