Commentary and Opinion by Samuel Strait There is an old saying that when you fail to solve your problem one way, it makes no sense to try and solve it by using the same way over and over again then expect a different outcome. California has employed billions of dollars just in the past three years in a vain attempt to house it's homeless population only to see that population increase from 25% of the nation's entire homeless population to 26% in the Spring of 2023. When it comes to homelessness our policy makers at both the State and local level have fastened on this problem with the idea that once a homeless person is housed, the issues that forced them into becoming homeless will magically disappear. One would think after decades of housing, as the first choice of our leaders, spending billions of dollars to house a tiny fraction of that population only to see the numbers continue to climb that it would dawn on someone in that leadership role that housing first wasn't working. As the numbers of homeless continue to climb, perhaps it would be a wise move to try some thing different first. Granted there is little that the State and local governments will be able accomplish for much more than the meager results that have been successful for the few, but the many remain unhoused and their issues where possible, unresolved. Homelessness is not something "new" nor unusual. It has existed since mankind first walked on this place we call Earth. As societies have come and gone, none have been fortunate enough to solve the problem but for the few. Our local leadership has elected to solve the issue first through the purchase of a local motel now being called euphemistically "the Legacy" situated along the main thoroughfare, Highway 101 South. Since it's inception over two years ago now, it was intended to house the local homeless population through a State funded program "Project HomeKey" with "Temporary Housing". The goal was to transition successful residents from temporary housing into a more permanent form. The problem being, a lack of permanent housing for those transitioning in the County. Low income housing, even heavily subsidized through HUD, is extremely limited; hence, the Legacies' population that moved to the motel in 2020 are still in residence, unless evicted for some transgression. In the interim, the housed, once numbering 50 adults and children in May of 2021 has dwindled to 27 adults and children in May of 2023. Fourteen of the Legacy's 30 rooms are vacant and the project is being converted from transitional housing to permanent. It seems that the occupants can continue to live in the Legacy as long as they wish to abide by the rules. No transitional housing here. Some work, although the County wasn't willing to divulge how many. Once the current residents are converted to permanent housing the project costs will be partial covered by HUD vouchers. In the meantime it costs the County $300,000 per year to pay for the utilities, water, sewer, electricity, and cable TV, plus staff and maintenance. This unit when occupied by a business more in line with its location was a net gain for the County coffers that has now become a liability. The County has admitted to there being criminal drug activity, violence and destruction of property on site. Conversations with the City's Police Chief revealed initially police responded to calls two out of every three days. Currently that kind of activity is reported to have been substantially reduced, likely due to the reduced population more than actual reduction in criminal activity. One thing should be clear from the numbers, is that even if the Legacy was fully occupied, its effect on the over all homeless population is minimal and as the population of homeless in the County increases it further reduces its effectiveness as a tool to combat homelessness. Moving on. After spending initially $3.5 million in the first version of homeless housing, plus $750,000 to operate the Legacy since November of 2020, the project once expanded to permanent housing will in all likelyhood consume yet more millions to house currently 27 homelessness and in the future perhaps as many as 50. Not a lot of "bang" for the dollars spent when the current estimate for the homeless population could be as high as 800 to 1000. But wait for it, the County is entertaining the notion to go a bit further by becoming landlords to a "tiny house" village on Williams Drive, $7 to $8 million more dollars for the village infrastructure and an currently unknown figure for utilities, maintenance and staff per year, all grant funded of course. Maybe thirty more added to the rolls of the newly housed. While the millions spent and the problems the County has acquired in their "housing first" attempt is unlikely to solve the problems of County homelessness, according to Supervisor Dean Wilson, a member of the County's ad hoc committee on homelessness, it "will give law enforcement the tools to clean up local homeless encampments". Of course, there are a number of problems with that statement, the first being that the three steps towards housing the homeless is missing one important ingredient, affordable permanent housing. Not to mention an already beleaguered Sheriff's Department's inability to accomplish the already full plate of duties in place. And the other niggling detail, that it in no substantive way addresses any of the issues that made people choose homeless in the first place. Bottom line, the County's efforts to solve our homeless problem will fall just as short as the obsession with housing first has become as obvious failure. It just comes down to "how much will it cost to house a tiny fraction of the homeless population?" Likely a breath taking amount. Then there is that old saying, "You can't teach old dogs, new tricks". They just seem to continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.