A small pup waits outside a makeshift tent at a homeless encampment near the Marysville River bottoms. Photo by Shamaya Sutton

YUBA-SUTTER, CA (MPG) - November is National Homeless Awareness Month, which includes National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week from Nov. 12 to 23. During this time, the Sutter Yuba Homeless Consortium held its monthly stakeholders meeting and was joined by Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health for a presentation on Proposition 1.

California’s Proposition 1 was voted on and passed by a slim margin this past March, a measure which has been hotly debated. In the ballot text, Prop 1 is said to authorize $6.38 billion in bonds to build mental health treatment facilities for those with mental health and substance use challenges as well as provide housing for the homeless. By and large, Prop 1 aims to expand access to mental health and substance abuse treatment programs through the state while also increasing housing support with a focus on veterans. Opponents have argued that the measure would increase the amount of involuntary treatment and divert money from local organizations that serve hard-to-reach populations, such as LGBTQ people and communities of color.

“California is looking for a little more accountability in the funding they’re providing so they’re doing different things,” said Johnny Burke, executive director for the Sutter Yuba Homeless Consortium. “They want to see results because billions of dollars have been spent over the last several years on homeless efforts and homelessness has continued to grow in California. In my opinion, at least for our area, I can say that that money has been spent very well with great affordable housing projects, lots of people who were rapidly rehoused, our emergency shelters have grown but we have some other financial things going on in our state that are making more people homeless which is a challenge.”

How Prop 1 will affect the area’s current services is still being navigated. Sutter Yuba Homeless Consortium’s meeting on Nov.14 outlined some of the financial shifting that will take place and gave a snapshot of the region's current homeless demographic.

“Our numbers of folks coming to homelessness for the first time continue to rise,” said Burke. “Last week was the second highest week for the entire year for the number of intakes that were done. We’re hoping that number will go down but it's been a very challenging couple of years and this year has not let up for folks entering homelessness for the first time.”

According to data collected by the Sutter Yuba Homeless Consortium, a total of 70 new intakes were done around the second week of November. Intakes from the past month show that the top three most recent reasons for becoming homeless include breakup and or divorce, loss of job or unemployment, and substance abuse, in that order.

“Typically, the top three are fiscal-related things,” said Burke. “But our number one reason amongst all the people who became homeless for the first time and entered coordinated entry was breakup or divorce and that's particularly troubling because that is something from an organizational standpoint that we really don't have a way to have an effect on.”

Burke added that it was uncommon to see substance use make it into the top three categories for the initial cause of homelessness.

The consortium’s monthly coordinated entry report showed a total of 222 clients entering into the system through various intake points throughout Yuba-Sutter. Of that number, 143 were new to homelessness and the rest were returning after previously being released from the coordinated entry system. Self-reported survey responses from the newly registered individuals show that 50% have a behavioral health problem, 27% have a substance use problem, 23% suffered from a disability, 13% had encountered domestic violence, 0% were veterans and only 17% were new to the Yuba-Sutter area. Also noted was a shift in income for households without children who are unhoused. Approximately 36% of those individuals had an income but the monthly average was only $478.

“Just a few months ago, we always had at least around 50% without children in the household that had an income and that number was starting to run a little higher,” said Burke. “There's been some sort of change in the last few months where all of a sudden we’re seeing folks who are coming into homelessness for the first time who don't have children, don't have any income at all and for those who do, the average number has dropped.”

According to Burke, one of the fastest growing demographics for those entering homelessness for the first time locally is seniors or those over age 55.

“That's pretty alarming,” said Burke. “But what's nice about getting all those numbers is that then we can target where we’re gonna do our next programs and housing programs.

Housing projects that aim to serve this demographic have already been started or are in the works with Habitat for Humanity taking the lead on a 12-unit project in Linda and another future development in Yuba City.                        

Prop 1 is said to authorize $6.38 billion in bonds to build mental health treatment facilities for those with mental health and substance use challenges as well as provide housing for the homeless. Image by mramirferdi from Pixabay

As for Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health and funding, Proposition 1 will change the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) into the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA). In aligning itself with the new budgeting categories set forth by the Behavioral Health Services Act, Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health will see a projected $2.2 million reduction or redirection of funds annually. The internal programs that might be at risk include Adult Open Access & Urgent Services, Youth & Family Open Access & Urgent Services, Medication Support Services, Hmong Outreach Center, Latino Outreach Center, Wellness & Recovery Center, and Supportive Housing Services. Likewise, at-risk contracted programs include Sutter County Superintendent of Schools WEX & Adult Education, Telecare Supportive Housing Services and Youth For Change (Peer Mentors). Fiscal support for these programs will need to be redirected, reduced or funded elsewhere for them not to be cut.

“There is new funding coming through to the schools that they may be able to use to support some of the school-based programs that have been funded previously with MHSA,” said Anne Robin, a licensed marriage and family therapist with Capstone Solutions Consulting Group. “And your supportive housing services may be able to go into that housing under the new BHSA categories.”

In other news, both Yuba and Sutter counties have been gearing up to implement CARE Court by the first of December as mandated by the state. CARE, which stands for Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment, is a program implemented in California aimed at providing a structured support system for individuals with severe mental health challenges. Eligible individuals must be at least 18 years old with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder and must be considered unable to participate in traditional treatment due to severity of condition.

“It was really pitched by the governor as a way to reduce homelessness, and his administration estimated that there would be between 7,000 and 12,000 people that would be eligible for CARE Court statewide,” said Rick Bingham, director of Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health Services. “Just to put that in perspective, the last PIT (Point-in-Time) count showed there were 186,000 homeless people in California, so you're targeting maybe 4 to 6.5% of the total homeless population - not a huge dent.”

Bingham added that only 1% of the general population had a psychotic disorder and while that percentage might be higher in the homeless population, he said there had been a few misrepresentations when it came to CARE Court. He also stressed that individuals suffering from substance use disorders would be ineligible and that the program did not include housing services.

“There's a little bit of a hurdle in filing the petition too, the petition must include a statement form a mental health professional verifying that the referred individual has a qualifying diagnosis and is not mentally stable,” said Bingham. “So you could be living with someone who has a significant psychotic disorder and could benefit from CARE Court but somehow you have to also get that person to agree to see a mental health professional and if they've not been in treatment or don't want to go to treatment that might be a hurdle.”
With mental health continuing to be a central focus, Peach Tree Health has developed their own street team and mobile crisis unit. This new implementation has two exam rooms and is capable of both in person and telehealth visits. This unit can be brought to various coordinated entry intake points, helping complete the consortium’s “one stop shop” approach for local homeless outreach services. Burke also said that Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health will contract with a new group referred to as “psych crisis” that aims to be a 24/7 on-call emergency psych unit open to all residents.

“While access (to mental health programs) is expanding we still have a mental health provider crisis,” said Amira Lindbloom, director of community health for Peach Tree Health. “We're considered a region that has inadequate behavioral health professionals available… I think just knowing where to go is often a barrier for folks.”

Those looking for ways to get involved with the local unhoused community might consider volunteering for the upcoming Point in Time count. This event will take place from Jan. 27 to Jan. 31 and involves conducting surveys either in person or over the phone with homeless members throughout Yuba and Sutter counties.

“It’s amazing to hear their stories and I’ve never met a single person who regretted doing it,” said Burke.

For more information, visit syhomelessconsortium.org.