Santa Maria staff report 459 people in January homelessness count; city seeks county cooperation on riverbed enforcement

Assistant City Manager Chun Wu told the City Council on Nov. 4 that the city’s January point‑in‑time count recorded 459 people experiencing homelessness in Santa Maria, including 243 in shelters, 160 unsheltered and 56 living in vehicles. “The count reports 459 individuals experiencing homelessness in Santa Maria, with 243 reported as sheltered, 160 unsheltered, and 56 living in vehicles,” Wu said.

Wu and park rangers described continued riverbed monitoring and coordination with Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County. Wu said Santa Barbara County has committed to covering 50% of the cost to have city rangers monitor the riverbed, and staff are circulating a three‑jurisdiction memorandum of understanding (MOU) that still needs final edits. He said the city lacks the same agreement with San Luis Obispo County, which complicates enforcement east of the Yoshida Line because that area is in San Luis Obispo County and outside the city’s municipal code jurisdiction.

Ranger Ruben Ramirez told the council crews counted 27 encampments east of the 101 bridge near the Yoshida Line and described barriers to cleanup when the land falls under another county’s jurisdiction. Sergeant Felix Diaz of the police department said officers respond to complaints flagged through dispatch and neighborhood‑connect, provide resources when people accept them and pursue enforcement when they do not. Diaz said the city is working with a contracted cleanup crew to address encampments on a weekly basis.

Council members and speakers discussed regional coordination and federal funding risks. Council member Soto noted a countywide increase in people living in vehicles and urged the city to press regional partners about emergency housing vouchers that currently run through December 2026. Soto said federal funding timelines could cause families to return to homelessness if not renewed.

Mayor Patino and other council members asked staff to send a formal letter to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors requesting financial help and direct engagement, and to invite San Luis Obispo County to a future council meeting to discuss cost‑sharing and enforcement. Wu said staff will prepare the letter and pursue additional outreach.

The presentation included county CERF (California Encampment Resolution Fund) summaries that staff said tracked broader county waterway efforts: Santa Barbara County reported 319 people enrolling in services, 66 placed in housing and 205 entering shelters during recent riverbed outreach and cleanup efforts. Wu cautioned that the point‑in‑time numbers are a single‑night snapshot and that inflows and exits change over time.