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By Lookout Staff

December 16 -- Santa Monica has seen its homeless population rise 15 percent over the past year, but the City is taking innovative steps to house the chronically homeless and replenish emergency food supplies increasingly tapped by those who are employed, according to a report released last week.

Like the other two dozen cities that responded to the 2008 Hunger and Homelessness Survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Santa Monica reported “an increase in the prevalence of homelessness and requests for emergency food assistance,” City officials said.

“Santa Monica, like most of the surveyed cities, reported that the demand for emergency food assistance during the past year has outpaced an increase in supply,” according to Human Services Administrator Stacy Rowe.

In the last year, Santa Monica distributed 1.9 million pounds of food through the Westside Food Bank, a 3 percent increase, although far short of meeting the 21 percent hike in requests for emergency food assistance, according to the report.

Nearly half of the requests came from people who are employed and two-thirds came from families. There was an increase in first-time users, as well as an increase in those who consider themselves to be middle class, according to the report.

The City has helped stock the pantries by participating in the Farm to Family program, which links California produce growers with the state’s established network of food banks.

The program, which is managed by the California Association of Food Banks, has brought an extra 250,000 pounds of produce to Santa Monica residents in the past year, according to Rowe.

In addition, Santa Monica, as well as Phoenix and Nashville, have “large salvage operations that pick up food that would ordinarily go to waste from grocery stores, restaurants and other sources and distribute it to those in need,” according to the report.

“It is likely that there will be a national continued increase in demand for emergency food assistance in 2009,” City officials warned. “However, local food assistance programs, like the Westside Food Bank, may benefit from falling fuel and food prices.”

The City also reported it had helped 51 of Santa Monica’s 131 “most vulnerable homeless individuals” move off the streets and into housing linked to supportive services.

“Santa Monica will continue to employ innovative, aggressive and compassionate strategies to reduce street homelessness and prevent homelessness among the city’s priority populations,” City officials said.

According to the survey results released Friday, 19 of the 25 cities that participated, including Santa Monica, reported an increase in “the prevalence of homelessness.”

“With the economy in a recession and unemployment rising, the need for homeless services may continue to increase,” City officials said.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of 1,139 cities with populations of 30,000 or more. For the past 22 years, The Conference of Mayors has reported on the shortage of emergency services – food, shelter, medical care, income assistance and emergency assistance – in the nation’s cities.