Downtown Santa Barbara is perceived by many as a place that accommodates aggressive and bad behavior by those who are suffering from addictions. Mental illness adds to the trauma. A vibrant mixture of commerce and residential living greatly reduces the likelihood that this kind of negative behavior dominates on the sidewalks of a community. Local residents build up a vibrant street life with an ongoing amount of positive interaction morning, noon, and night, leaving little room for bad behavior to fill the vacuum. Strategically placed housing becomes a critical component to a healthy downtown. It adds safety, reduces traffic, and sustains local businesses that support residents.

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We need to support the ongoing efforts to bring ALL service providers together to come up with solutions for these chronic and ongoing human problems.  There are many good people working on these stories of human trauma, and we need a community-wide level of support and solutions to heal this division in our human family.