The Pescadero Transition House: A Remedy for Houselessness in Isla Vista

I. Introduction

Homelessness in Isla Vista

Homelessness in Isla Vista is a significant, complex and expensive social issue. While it is hard to calculate the exact number of homeless people in Isla Vista due to the large transient population, surveys have been conducted that shed light on the problem. In a survey, UCSB “asked 1,023 students if they considered themselves houseless or homeless while attending college, and 96 answered yes.” (Walby) This alarming number only accounts for UCSB students, not including the majority of homeless people in Isla Vista who do not attend the school.

Despite the obvious and visible homeless problem in Isla Vista, there are very few programs that have been implemented to alleviate this problem. It is only in recent years that some steps have been taken to provide services and assistance to the homeless population of Isla Vista. While researching the outreach programs in Isla Vista, I came across the Pescadero Lofts. The Pescadero Lofts opened its doors on December 16,2014 and serves as a housing complex for the formerly-houseless population of Isla Vista. The complex is located on the Camino Pescadero block of IV and has 26 studios as living space, along with on- site mental health services and alcohol/drug counseling available to all those who live there. (“Isla Vista”) However, the complex is the only housing available to both homeless students and other homeless people. Since the complex only houses up to 35 people, it cannot possibly accommodate the large homeless population living in Isla Vista. Because of a high-demand for services that address homelessness, the Pescadero lofts have been full for two years now. This means that the Pescadero Lofts is not productive in continuously reducing the problem of homelessness.

II. Methodology

A Look Inside Santa Barbara’s Homeless Services

While Isla Vista does not provide an adequate amount of homelessness services, neighboring communities such as Downtown Santa Barbara have taken the initiative to solve the problem of homelessness. Specifically, The Transition House and PATH in Downtown Santa Barbara continue to change the lives of the large homeless population in Santa Barbara County and provide them with the resources they need to get back on their feet.

PATH was founded in Los Angeles in 1984, by a community that was concerned about their homeless neighbors. What started off as an organized effort handing out clothes and food, soon grew into a Housing First Organization that strives to meet the new needs of the homeless population in California. PATH Santa Barbara addresses homelessness for individuals and the community. Their interim housing facility is dedicated to helping homeless individuals access the services they need to improve their health, increase their income, and transition to stable housing-all under one roof. (Path Santa Barbara) The programs that are offered at the interim housing facility include employment and job training, wellness programs, recovery and community re-integration, rental assistance and rapid rehousing, community kitchen, and support for veterans. These on-site programs are managed by partners that include: Crisis and Recovery Emergency Services (CARES), County of Santa Barbara-Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Services, Cottage Hospital Partnership and St. Francis Foundation, Santa Barbara Community Physical Rehabilitation, and Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.

Transition House was founded in 1984 and is dedicated to the solution of family homelessness in the Santa Barbara community. By offering emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing, homelessness prevention services, and comprehensive programs for children, Transition House takes a holistic approach to ending the cycle of poverty and homelessness for Santa Barbara individuals and families. (Transition House) Transition House offers three stages of supportive housing: Emergency shelter, transitional living residence “firehouse”, and permanent affordable housing “HOMES”. Each stage of housing is customized for the level of assistance that an individual needs. Residents stay for a specified time for each level of housing and by the third level, individuals are set to get back into the world with stabilized income, set housing, and job skills.

A Reformation of Pescadero Lofts

PATH and Transition House are both successful models of services in Santa Barbara that are aimed at reducing homelessness. What Isla Vista needs is a mirroring of the programs and services that PATH and Transition House offer. The Pescadero Lofts are a good start to help the homeless in Isla Vista, but a reformation of the Lofts needs to occur to effectively assist the large amount of homeless people in Isla Vista. A reformation of the Lofts will require the establishment of an additional building. The new building adjacent to Pescadero Lofts would be named Phase 1. The original Pescadero Lofts would be Phase 2 of the program. By creating a transitional program at the Lofts, there will constantly be open space for those individuals that are need of it.

Phase 1 (New Building)

Food, shelter, and transitional case management lasting up to 90 days are provided. Families and individuals are stabilized, career goals are identified, and strategies to reach them are implemented. For families, children are enrolled in school or childcare. Phase 1 houses up to 40 individuals/10 families and all meals are provided. This phase will help reintegrate people into society as soon as possible. At the end of the 90 days, a review of the individual/family will occur to determine if they are able to independently live a quality life.

Phase 2 (Pescadero Lofts Building)

For those people who need a longer period of support services, Phase 2 offers subsidized housing and services similar to ones in Phase 1 for up to a 6-month period. Career-counseling, financial management, and educational enhancement continue to be provided. Phase 2 case management counselors focus on long-term financial and life skill goals that will eventually lead to economic stability. Housing rent is subsidized, and individuals need only to pay a portion (30% or below) or rent price. After the 6-month period, individuals will have acquired the skillset to financially support themselves.

PATH and Transition House: A Collaborative Effort

The implementation of the Pescadero Lofts transition house in Isla Vista would require the help of staff from PATH and The Transition House of Santa Barbara. Meetings with the directors of both organizations would need to be conducted to get them on board with the Isla Vista Transition House project. Also, talking with the directors will give an insight into how their programs receive funding, and IV Transition House can then mirror those methods of funding. A request should also be made to PATH and Transition House to have some of their staff work at the Pescadero Transition House during its initial months to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Isla Vista CSD: The Endorsement of Pescadero Transition House

The actual implementation of the Isla Vista Transition House would be through the Community Services District in Isla Vista. A group of volunteers, including staff from PATH and the Transition House in SB would present the idea of the Pescadero Transition House to the CSD governing board to have them endorse and implement the idea. The CSD is the ideal organization to endorse the transition house because one of the managers at Pescadero Lofts, Father Jon Hedges, also sits on the governing board for CSD. (Brugger) Additionally, the CSD is the new governing body in Isla Vista, and the implementation of this program would showcase the strength and influence of the CSD. The board members for CSD are crucial players in making the transition house happen. Bob Geis, the SB county appointee on the CSD board, will be an instrumental person in getting the county on board with the development of the new Phase 1 building and will aid the campaign with legal, administrative and financial issues. (Bean) CSD can also help with community outreach and involvement. Volunteers and community support will be a vital aspect in the creation of the Pescadero Transition House. PATH and Transition House of SB were both initially based on the volunteer services that the people in the community had offered. The addition of a UCSB AS member on the CSD board will allow for communication with the university. The university has pledged to contribute $200,000 per year for the next seven years to the CSD, but the district may use the funds on services that the university agrees are useful. (Ochoa) The student representative in the CSD will be a key asset in ensuring that the university sees the importance of the Transition House and the necessity of funding to make it happen.

III. Relevant Coursework

Marisela Marquez Lecture

“In a survey conducted by UCSB Associated Students, affordability is the number one housing concern for 69% of respondents, and is listed third among comments to improve living experience in IV.” (Marquez)

This statistic from lecture serves as an important reminder that Isla Vista does not have the needed resources or infrastructure in place to sustain the population of people that live in the town. The lack of rent control and the rising prices of rent by landlords leave many people with no choice but to find shelter in the streets of Isla Vista. The Pescadero Transition House is a key tool in reducing this statistic since people who are left houseless can turn to the Transition House for help with job employment and temporary shelter until they can get back on their feet and find a place to live.

The Trow Report

The Trow Report was conducted by a seven-person board, the Commission on Isla Vista, to make recommendations for eliminating or ameliorating the causes of unrest in Isla Vista. One of the initial findings of the Throw Report was that Isla Vista is lacking infrastructure for the population density of 26,000 per square mile. (Minoiefar) With the highest population density of any town west of the Mississippi, Isla Vista does not have the physical infrastructure to house the entirety of the population. The recommendations of the Trow Report are centered around increased active participation of UCSB and the County of SB in the affairs of Isla Vista. Specifically, UCSB and the County should develop programs to increase services in Isla Vista. The Pescadero Lofts Transition House would be an example of the kind of services that need to be implemented in Isla Vista, with the help of both UCSB and the County.

IV Tenants Union Lecture

Some of the major issues that tenants in IV face are mass evictions and housing discrimination. Isla Vista landlords are evicting more than 10% of the population. Additionally, landlord’s motivations for evicting tenants are sometimes based on status of class, whether it has to do with disability, race, etc. Since 2002, more than 300 low income families have been pushed out of their homes. County Ordinance 22-2 (4444) was put in place to provide relocation benefits to evicted people that would be paid by landlords. However, it is often the case that this ordinance is not regulated or put into effect in eviction cases. The recent mass evictions in Abrego Villas in 2014 by Majestic Managements was a clear sign of tenant neglect. The reactions of the community were inspiring. There was protests and picketing, community gatherings at Pardall Center, and aid for tenants from the Legal Resource Center. Sure there are a lot of problems wrong with Isla Vista. But power is in the community. With any great project, community participation and support is crucial for success. The Pescadero Lofts Transition House will not see success until the community steps up to ensure its longevity and prosperity.

IV. Policy Areas of Impact

Society at Large

The Pescadero Lofts Transition House will not be successful without the involvement and participation of the Isla Vista community. Just like PATH and The Transition House of Santa Barbara, community service projects start by volunteer work. Since Isla Vista is home to many sororities and fraternities noted for philanthropy, volunteer work is not a new concept. The many different UCSB organizations and clubs that reside in Isla Vista must do their part in volunteering at the Transition House. Why? Because homelessness is an ethical issue, and not doing anything about it makes us part of the problem. The Pescadero Lofts Transition House will affect Isla Vista citizens because it will cause a positive change for anyone who is in need of help, and there are a lot of people in Isla Vista who are in need of help. But more so than how will the the Transition House affect society is the more important question of how will society affect the Transition House. The Transition House will be a community service, and so a large portion of the operations should also be run and operated by the community.

Housing Authority of Santa Barbara

Even though the IV CSD will endorse the implementation of the Pescadero Transition House program, it does not have the funds to build the second building that is needed for Phase 1 of the project. Therefore, the project of developing the additional housing structure (Phase1) will be taken over by the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara. The Transition House in Isla Vista will be considered one of the Housing Authority’s Supportive Housing development projects. These projects are funded by the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, limited to low-income families and individuals. (Housing Authority of Santa Barbara) The Housing Authority of Santa Barbara should take on this project alleviating the homelessness problem in Isla Vista will increase the land value of Isla Vista, and therefore, people will more likely buy houses in the area without being turned off by the large homeless population. Additionally, the Transition House will help homeless people become financially secure enough to buy or rent their own residences, adding more people to the housing market. Lastly, if the Housing Authority takes on this project, they will be a part of something revolutionary. Press and media will document the success of the first program in Isla Vista that dramatically reduced the problem of homelessness, and the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara will be acknowledge in being a major proponent for that change.

Community Services District

Since the CSD is the new governing body in Isla Vista, the endorsement of the Pescadero Transition House will empower the CSD’s presence and influence in Isla Vista. Since the CSD powers were created by a government code, the CSD only has jurisdiction over a certain boundary. Moreover, strength comes in the fact that it is unincorporated. While the CSD does not have money allocated to itself, it does have the ability to fundraise money and collaborate with other points of authority, like the Housing Authority and UCSB, to create funding for major projects, like the Pescadero Transition House. The endorsement of the Transition House will not only show that the CSD is governing body that is able to bring positive change in Isla Vista, it will also grant legitimacy to the CSD in the eyes of the community.

Isla Vista Parks and Recreations District Board

The Isla Vista Parks and Recs District Board serve as an important stakeholder due to the fact that most homeless in IV reside in the neighborhood parks. Additionally, the Homeless Task Force within the IVPRD has long been discussing the creation of a homeless service center in Isla Vista. In fact, “IV Development Peer Chris Omer said the need for a service center and public restrooms for the homeless are becoming an increasingly pressing need for the homeless community.” (DailyNexus) The IVPRD has voiced their concerns about starting a homeless service center without the aid of the County. The plan surrounding Pescadero Transition House is one that requires various stakeholders to play a part in the implementation of the program. Therefore, responsibility doesn’t fall on one organization or player. The IVPRD has already expressed their interest in a homeless service center and the Homeless Task Force that it contains will be an asset in the formation and processing of the Pescadero Transition House.

V. Number of Affected People, Offices, and Agencies

Number of Affected People

Implementing The Pescadero Transition House will change the lives of the countless people in and around Isla Vista who do not get the homelessness services that they so desperately need. While there are no surveys that report the number of homeless people in Isla Vista specifically, there have been statistics gathered about the number of homeless people in Santa Barbara. In 2015, a group of several hundred volunteers spread across Santa Barbara to gather data on how many people were living without homes. In all the surrounding counties, Santa Barbara was shown to have the highest number of homeless, 893 people. (Noozhawk) While it is not clear what percent of that statistic accounts for the homeless people in Isla Vista, it is visibly clear to the residents of Isla Vista that homeless has been and continues to be a persisting problem. The Pescadero Transition house is an instrumental too in alleviating this problem of homelessness. The constant flow of residents in and out of the transition house will prove to be a tool in combating homelessness not only now, but for many generations to come. Additionally, since the Pescadero Transition House is programed in a way where it cannot be full, it can be useful for homeless people from areas around Isla Vista as well.

Santa Barbara Sheriffs Department

The implementation of the Pescadero Transition House will positively impact the operations of the Sheriff’s Department. On October 14, 2005, the Sheriff’s Department did a point in time count of homeless persons in jail for one weekend. The results were that “of the 706 inmates in the main jail, 152 were homeless.” (Heroux19) Most of the homeless people who are incriminated have substance abuse issues and mental illnesses. The Pescadero Transition house, equipped with drug counseling and mental health services, will take the load of the Sheriff’s department by providing housing and services and getting those people off the streets. The Sheriff’s Department can their focus their energy and efforts on the more serious crimes that occur in Isla Vista and Santa Barbara.

Isla Vista Parks and Recs District

The majority of the homeless people in Isla Vista reside in the parks. The impact that the Pescadero Transition House will have on IVPRD is that it will for IVPRD to partner with Pescadero Lofts and provide outreach to the homeless people that find retreat at the parks. Since many homeless people try to earn money recycling, there is often bags and shopping carts full of cans and bottles that can be seen throughout the parks in Isla Vista. The Pescadero Transition house will help to increase the visual appeal of the parks by providing these homeless people with real jobs and careers. Additionally, the Pescadero Transition House will be the perfect project for the Homeless Task Force within IVPRD to grow and have influence in.

The University and Associated Students

Although the university does not like to meddle in the affairs of Isla Vista, the Pescadero Transition House will assist the students who attend UCSB and live in cars or on the streets. Additionally, although the university primarily cares for students, the Pescadero Transition House will positively affect the image of the school by alleviating homeless people around campus. Often times, families who come to tour the school are turned off by the obvious homeless population in Isla Vista. Even though the homeless people are not on campus, most students who attend UCSB reside in Isla Vista. Therefore, homelessness in Isla Vista is indirectly affecting a key interest of UCSB, the students. The Pescadero Transition house will get those people off the streets and increase the attractiveness of both UCSB and Isla Vista. Adidtionally, the Pescadero Transition House will also serve as a rehab center and mental health facility. This in turn will reduce high-risk drinking and drug use among students, while also providing counseling supports for battling mental health issues.

The Housing Authority of Santa Barbara

The housing authority of Santa Barbara will be the main organization that will oversee the formation of the new building needed for the Pescadero Transition House to take its full effect. The Transition House will impact the housing authority because it will require that the housing authority allocate federal spending money to initiate the construction of the new building. The payoff of assisting with this project will be that the land value and market prices of houses where homeless people once pondered will now increase.

VI. Expected Outcomes

The Pescadero Transition House is thought up as an effective solution to combat homelessness. The project will not simply aim to get people off the streets, but also provide them with a better life. The counseling and health services at the lofts will work to help people reach their full potential in the work sector along with bettering their personal lives. Since Isla Visa is a tight-knit community with a lot of fraternities, sororities, and advocacy groups, it is projected that volunteers to help at the Pescadero Transition House will not be hard to find. Additionally, it is expected that the federal government play a big role in the funding of the transition house through low income housing programs. The societal effect will be the biggest reward that the Transition House will have to offer. The Phase I building will house up to 35 people that can stay there for up to a three-month period. After those three months, whoever needs more help will move onto the second building, opening up 35 new spaces in the first building. Therefore, it is expected that each year the Transition House operates, it will be able to take up to 70 new people. This project will benefit society for generations and generations to come, a task that no other homelessness service in Isla Vista has been able to do thus far.

VII. Conclusion

Finding Inspiration

While researching for my proposal, I was truly shocked at the lack of homelessness services that Isla Vista offers. A couple years back, Isla Vista had a recycling center where homeless people can exchange bottles and cans for change, but even that was demolished. As I expanded my research, I found that downtown Santa Barbara offers a variety of different services and programs. This is where I came across PATH and Transition House of Santa Barbara. I was inspired to provide those services to the people who need them right here in Isla Vista. Some people may ask why homeless people in Isla Vista don’t just go to Downtown Santa Barbara to receive the services they provide there. My answer is that they should not have to be asked to do that. In doing that we are not alleviating the problem of homelessness, we are rather just relocating it. There is no reason why someone who needs help in Isla Vista should have to travel 15 plus miles to the nearest available homeless shelter. It is our responsibility as a community to look after one another and ensure that every body has a fair chance of living the best life that they can, and the Pescadero Transition House is a step in the right direction.

Mock Lobby Takeaways

The mock lobby day taught me many things about my proposal and what I did well and what I need to improve. For starters, when I started pitching my proposal to each stakeholder, I focused on the problem of homelessness in Isla Vista and then presented my solution, The Pescadero Transition House. Some criticism that I received was that I should start off with more positive news, positive news being that there is a transition house in Santa Barbara that has continuously exhibited success in combating homelessness. I also noticed that when I was presenting to UCSB AS, they were very hesitant about providing help for the Transition House unless there were students who were directly affected by homelessness. While it is true that the majority of the residents in the Pescadero Lofts are above the age of 40, there are also UCSB students who need help. However, finding statistics to show how many students are affected is difficult because houseless students are harder to identify than older homeless people. Additionally, I got feedback from AS that I should look into the amount of alumni that might be homeless in IV. Since the university really cares about the well-being of the alumni, finding those statistics will help them adopt and be a part of my proposal. The positive feedback definitely outweighed the negative. I was happy that my work paid off and that I was able to impress the stakeholders with statistics and a comprehensive plan. It was rewarding to be recognized for the amount of work and dedication I put into this project.

Works Cited

Bean, Samantha. "Inaugural Meeting of the Isla Vista Community Services District." Inaugural Meeting of the Isla Vista Community Services District. N.p., 09 Mar. 2017. Web. 16 May 2017.

Brugger, Kelsey. "Meet the I.V. Community Services District Board Candidates." Meet the I.V. Community Services District Board Candidates. N.p., 04 Nov. 2016. Web. 16 May 2017.

Heroux, Roger E. "A Report on Homelessness Services in the County of Santa Barbara." (n.d.): n. pag. CommonGroundSB.org. Feb. 2006. Web.

Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2017.

"Isla Vista." Pescadero Lofts - Isla Vista - LocalWiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

"IV Tenants Union." Politics of IV Lecture. UCSB, Goleta. 27 Apr. 2017. Lecture.

"IVRPD Discusses Shelter for I.V. Homeless, Crime Rate Over Break." The Daily Nexus. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2017.

Marquez, Marisela. "Isla Vista: Needs Assessment and Long Term Planning." Politics of IV. UCSB, Goleta. 25 Apr. 2017. Lecture.

Minoiefar, Ashcon. "Throw Report." Politics of IV Lecture. UCSB, Goleta. 02 May 2017. Lecture.

Noozhawk. "Survey Finds Number of Homeless Stays Stable for Santa Barbara County." Noozhawk.com Santa Barbara & Goleta Local News. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June 2017.

Ochoa, Jose. "CSD Takes First Steps in I.V. Governance." The Daily Nexus. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2017.

"Programs." PATH Santa Barbara. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2017.

Transition House. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2017.

Walby, Mac. "Pescadero Lofts Still Full Two Years Later." The Santa Barbara Independent - News. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.