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Student presenter urges shallow subsidies, mobile care and a dashboard to address homelessness
Summary
Anya Parikh told the council the recent point-in-time numbers show progress but stress the need for targeted, data-driven measures: shallow rental subsidies for seniors, mobile mental-health units, wraparound employment services, and a unified tracking dashboard to measure outcomes.
Anya Parikh, a student who said she's been working on homelessness data, told the council the most recent point-in-time count shows a drop in homelessness in the county but stressed the need for targeted interventions for seniors and those affected by sudden financial shocks. "To fix this, we actually had to take a look at data, not just assumptions or biases," she said.
Parikh recommended four concrete steps: (1) shallow monthly subsidies to cover small rental gaps that can prevent displacement, (2) mobile mental-health and medical units to bring care to seniors and others unable to access clinics, (3) wraparound employment services that pair training with municipal work opportunities, and (4) a unified dashboard to track individuals' progress from outreach through housing and services over multiple years.
She cited state-level spending and the state auditor's findings about program effectiveness and urged local leaders to prioritize evidence-based programs such as Project Homekey and CalWORKS that were identified as successful in recent audits. Councilmembers praised the presentation and encouraged Parikh to share her recommendations with state elected officials for potential policy or funding action.
