As one of the many supporters of the FARO Center — and a long-time advocate for our unhoused neighbors — I want to applaud the City Council for doing the right thing last week. In the face of a difficult balancing act between two vital programs, they made a pragmatic call to keep the FARO Center’s doors open, while still hearing Jodi House’s very real concerns.
No easy answers exist when you put two deeply vulnerable communities side by side, each struggling for stability and dignity. But shutting down a life-saving drop-in center that helps people move off the streets was never going to be the solution.
Nick Welsh’s coverage hit the nail on the head: this was a “knock-down, drag-out fight for the ages,” yet somehow the council managed to walk the tightrope with a measure of courage.
Santa Barbara cannot afford to abandon those doing the hardest work in our city — and that includes both the FARO Center staff and the advocates for people with brain injuries. I’m hopeful the next chapter will bring more collaboration, more support, and a renewed commitment to helping all of our neighbors thrive.
Let’s keep moving forward.
