VENTURA, Calif. – In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, June 20, the Board of Supervisors agreed to adopt a resolution in support of a comprehensive plan to address homelessness put forth by the California State Association of Counties. The plan, titled ‘AT HOME’, focuses on establishing solutions to reduce homelessness throughout the state of California, with clear guidelines laid out for specific programs and responsibilities for the state, counties, and cities. Through adoption of the resolution, the County of Ventura joins 21 other counties that have shown their support and voted in favor of supporting CSAC’s ‘AT HOME’ Plan.
“This didn’t just happen overnight – we have been working with CSAC since 2018 on housing solutions,” shared District 3 Supervisor Kelly Long. “We feel that it’s very important to join in on this resolution for the ‘AT HOME’ Plan so we can address how we can secure the funding needed, ensure that it is sustainable, and make a big difference in our homeless count right now.”
The six pillars within the plan – Accountability, Transparency, Housing, Outreach, Mitigation, and Economic opportunity – clearly define the responsibility and accountability for every level of government, creating a comprehensive approach to address homelessness. The first of the six pillars – Accountability – will address the need to identify and secure sustainable funding sources to address the challenges presented in developing solutions for homelessness. CSAC has indicated that solutions to identifying and establishing sustainable funding will be brought forth to the State for consideration in the budget during the current state legislative session.
“The CSAC ‘AT HOME’ Plan is a holistic and comprehensive framework that can effectively address homelessness in our state through an understanding that the current system is not adequate for what we find ourselves addressing at the local level,” stated Dr. Sevet Johnson, County Executive Officer. “The adoption of this resolution is a demonstration that the County of Ventura is dedicated to working closely with state and local partners as we look to address the housing and homelessness crisis.”
Currently, counties run or administer most health and human services programs on behalf of the state and federal governments. These programs include CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, mental health and substance use disorder services, In-Home Supportive Services, Child Welfare Services, Adult Protective Services, and CalFresh. Counties are on the front lines of the provision of safety net services in California.
The ‘AT HOME” Plan continues to gain support from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. In addition to the 21 counties that have already shown support, more than 30 professional organizations, nonprofits, and private sector companies have added their support for the initiative.
For more information about the CSAC ‘AT HOME’ Plan, visit www.counties.org/home-plan
