Bridge to Home, SCV Sheriff’s Station, city of Santa Clarita, United Way and County of Los Angeles agencies recently joined forces for the first time to survey populations of homeless residents in the Santa Clarita Valley.

“We’ve had a real turning point,” said Tim Davis, executive director of Bridge to Home in Santa Clarita. “This is first time we have all worked together – Sheriffs, City, County and Bridge to Home to do an outreach to homeless people. This is a first time collaboration between all of these agencies to run such a program in Santa Clarita.”

The first survey of Santa Clarita homeless populations was held Oct. 21 when two teams comprised of members of Bridge to Home, Los Angeles County Homeless Services Authority, United Way’s Coordinated Entry System Housing Navigators, SCV Sheriff’s Station and City of Santa Clarita visited 10 homeless encampments in the Santa Clara River to conduct interviews. The encampments were found adjacent to the Santa Clara River from Newhall to Canyon Country.

Tim Davis said the goal of the survey effort is to ultimately get individuals into the Bridge to Home shelter, or to connect individuals with supportive services to hopefully place them in appropriate housing.

“We want to find out who these people are, what their names are, what their issues are and to get them connected to the right people with the hope that they get housed. That’s Bridge to Home.” Davis said.

Davis said the city of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles have a goal that by the end of 2015 all homeless veterans will be housed and all chronically homeless families and singles will be housed by the end of 2016. Additional outreach sweeps will be held in Santa Clarita through November, said Davis.

Davis said the effort will benefit the community by identifying which individuals should receive services first and where possible, place them in appropriate housing.

“This effort will help us identify which individuals are most costly to the community and by getting them off the street this will benefit the community,” Davis said.

More information about Bridge to Home can be found at www.btohome.com.