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Red Rose Inn to house homeless Hotel master lease approved for homeless shelter to reduce wildfire risk By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
A temporary homeless shelter will be provided at the Red Rose Inn on Upper State Street to remove individuals from fire-prone areas and clean them up to reduce wildfire risk. The Santa Barbara City Council unanimously approved City Net’s master lease with the inn on Tuesday, and directed staff to use up the one-time Socioeconomic Mitigation Program reserve funds and Permanent Local Housing Allocation funds for the $1.6 million price tag. “This is a human crisis,” Councilwoman Kristen Sneddon said. “Everything we’re putting forward today dovetails into (the city’s) strategic plan.” She addressed emails she’s received about this issue that have taken concerns with the cost per room of the shelter, specifically pointing out that it will cost thousands per guest. Ms. Sneddon said the reason the cost is so high is because of the wraparound services, and that the rooms themselves only cost $100 to $200. “It’s the services that will make an actual long-term, impactful difference in transforming people’s lives and in transforming our lives as a community,” she said. “So it is expensive. It is transformative, and you don’t get transformative without funding.” The services that will be offered to the homeless individuals at the Red Rose Inn will include things such as housingfocused case management services, family reunification, self-resolution of homelessness and referrals to local resources for food, medical care, legal assistance and more. Councilman Eric Friedman spoke to the importance of avoiding any wildfires in the city, and that this solution reduces the risk while also providing a way to learn if this is a good solution for the rest of the homeless population. “If we were to have another fire or a devastating fire in the city, it would have a whole host of consequences — one, the loss of life, including those who live in the encampments, but also those in the neighborhoods, the loss of property,” he said. “And to have another disaster in our town could really affect the livelihoods of our businesses and the community we love…We have an opportunity here, now, to really see how this works and see how effective it is.” Many public commenters supported the measure, while others pointed out other areas that they hope can be addressed other than just the high-fire prone areas. Some questioned what determines a highfire prone area from a not high-fire prone area.
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Dr. Henning Ansorg, the county’s public health officer, said mask guidance will remain the same in Santa Barbara County at this point despite shifting guidance in Los Angeles County.
LA County changes mask guidance Santa Barbara County unlikely to change mask policies
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Above, the Red Rose Inn on Upper State Street will be used to house homeless individuals currently living in fire-prone areas. At right, a homeless encampment sits on East Montecito Street and Chapala Street.
By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Ben Romo, who said he lives near Red Rose Inn, spoke up during public comment that he supports the measure, but wished more action occurred sooner. “I can’t really help but see that this council is being prompted to take this drastic action because the issue of homelessness had a spillover effect on residents who are housed,” he said. “I just wish that the human tragedy we see every day prompted this same level of angst, interest, responsiveness and investment by council members … Why aren’t we moving Please see COUNCIL on A4
House expected to pass INVEST in America Act this week Carbajal secures $20 million for Central Coast projects
Though Los Angeles County is now recommending that even fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors, masking guidance in Santa Barbara County is likely to remain the same, local health officials say. LA County’s shifting mask guidance came Monday after the county’s Public Health Department reported an uptick in COVID-19 cases associated with the Delta variant. While health officials did not institute a new mandate, officials are highly recommending that all people wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. The Delta strain, which originally surfaced in India, has become the dominant variant circulating in the United States in recent weeks. Health officials report that the Delta variant is potentially twice as infectious as Please see MASKS on A5
By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS
The House is expected to pass the INVEST in American Act this week, approving the proposed $574 billion in funding that would improve the nation’s infrastructure and transportation systems. This would include funding for the nation’s bridges. Shown above is Cold Spring Bridge on State Route 154, which is currently undergoing renovation.
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Congressman Salud Carbajal sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and helped secure $20 million in funding for the Central Coast through the INVEST in America Act.
Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons, an infectious disease specialist at Cottage Hospital, said it’s likely the Delta variant will become the dominant strain in Santa Barbara County in the coming weeks.
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A major transportation and infrastructure bill is expected to pass in the House this week, inching Congress one step closer to obtaining funding for the improvement of infrastructure across the nation and on the Central Coast. The bill, titled the INVEST in America Act, would authorize $574 billion in funding to be dispersed over five years to update infrastructure and modernize Please see BILL on A5
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