By Jason Islas
Lookout Staff

February 29, 2012 -- Homelessness in Santa Monica has remained stable despite economic hard times, according to City staff, but it may not stay that way for long, one top City official warns.

According to a census conducted on the night of January 25, 264 people were counted sleeping on the street in Santa Monica, one more than last year, and 52 were found sleeping in cars or encampments, also an increase of one. A total of 434 people were counted in beds either at shelters, jails or hospitals, an increase of 8 from last year.

“The street homelessness count has remained relatively stable, which we are very proud of,” said Maggie Willis, a senior administrative analyst with the City's Human Services division.

A new category -- homeless people in winter shelters -- accounted for the overall increase, City officials said. This year, the census counted 19 individuals participating in an Upward Bound motel voucher program, which runs from December to March and targets families who need shelter for the winter months.

The separate category was created because under the voucher program there may be no one lodging in Santa Monica motels next year, thus creating an artificial drop in the data, Willis said.

Council member Bobby Shriver, who has made homelessness one of his top policy issues, said he is glad to hear that the numbers aren't going up but warned that “now is not the time to get complacent.”

Veteran Affairs officials "expect 30,000 vets to return to California this year,” Shriver said. Many of those returning may have mental illnesses, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), that take some time to manifest.

If the economy remains weak, Shriver warned, it could spell trouble for many returning vets and could lead to an increase in homelessness.

In addition, Shriver said, the loss of money from the City's Redevelopment Agency (RDA) could make matters even worse, since a large percentage of those funds in Santa Monica went to affordable housing.

“The State has gone out of the affordable housing business,” Shriver said.

Though officials in Sacramento have said that they are looking for ways to fund affordable housing, there is no clear answer to the sudden loss of money for affordable housing projects throughout the State.

Over the past three years, the number of homeless residing in the beachside city once dubbed "the home of the homeless" has been on the downswing.

From 2009 to 2011 there were 166 fewer people sleeping on the street, in their cars or in encampments, according to the report.

Willis attributes the decrease to the City's Action Plan to Address Homelessness adopted in 2008, which focuses on getting vulnerable individuals into permanent housing.