With the upcoming election on November 6th, there are a lot of important decisions to make regarding our community well-being. One of those decisions is Proposition 2, which offers funding to the organization, There’s No Place Like Home, for the purpose of creating supportive housing and mental health care for the homeless populations throughout California.

Prop 2 works to get homeless people off the streets and into shelter while also giving treatment those who suffer from mental illness. The funding would come from the “Millionaire’s Tax” created in 2004 so it wouldn’t be creating any new tax or cost to the state. Not only would this proposition help those in need, but it gets people off the beautiful streets of Santa Barbara without raising taxes. Communities in LA County have shown through programs similar to this, that supportive housing keeps the homeless out of jails and emergency rooms saving taxpayers millions over time.

Many who live on the streets are veterans who risked their lives for this country. They often suffer from mental illnesses like PTSD and struggle to return to their regular lives without proper support from the government. Others are on the streets with children because they can’t afford to keep their homes. These people are as much a part of our community as anyone else is and it’s our responsibility to make sure everyone is supported and given equal opportunity to succeed.

So, I urge you to vote YES on Proposition 2 to support those in our community who still need our help.