THOUSAND OAKS : New Task Force on Homeless Proposed

Concerned that existing social service programs leave some needy families in the lurch, Thousand Oaks Councilwoman Elois Zeanah has proposed assigning a task force to uncover new ways to help.

Although Thousand Oaks already hosts a dozen social service agencies in its “Under One Roof” building on Hillcrest Drive, Zeanah said she believes the network is “overworked and underfunded.”

In particular, Zeanah hopes to address the needs of families who find themselves temporarily homeless. The winter shelter program, which provides hot meals and dry beds at local churches and synagogues, serves mainly single men, although women and children are welcome.

“It’s better than sleeping in the bushes, but sleeping on the floor with 20 men . . . is not a permanent solution,” said Eileen MacEnery, who eats regularly at the winter shelter with her two young daughters. “It’s not even a temporary solution.”

Zeanah’s proposed task force would look at that issue. The group--including politicians, religious leaders, service providers and citizens--would also examine how to provide more substance-abuse counseling and more help for battered women.

But Councilman Frank Schillo, who helped create the “Under One Roof” social services building, said he believes a task force would be redundant. “We’ve been doing these things all along” through various committees, he said.

Gradually, the county has opened more social services offices in Thousand Oaks, most recently a public health clinic. And the city has launched an effort to help low-income families find affordable child care, Schillo said.

To MacEnery, who has been homeless five times in the past five years, the existing structure is not enough. “We need to rethink what’s happening,” she said, “because nowadays, the homeless are our sisters, our brothers, our mothers, our daughters.”

Zeanah will discuss her proposal at Tuesday’s council meeting.