The number 211 will be available within the next year for Californians to use in the event of a social needs crisis.

The state's Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously Thursday to regulate the 211 referral line, which like 911 will serve as a 24-hour number. The 211 telephone service will offer assistance on a range of issues from homelessness, placing relatives in hospice care and locating the nearest food bank or county shelter to finding runaway teens and getting help with spousal abuse.

``This gets to some very serious problems in society,'' said Michael Peevey, president of the PUC, before voting Thursday. ``The more people are connected to a social service they need -- and the sooner people are connected -- the better.''

With the PUC's approval, counties can now proceed with local planning efforts to consolidate existing information and referral lines and gather funding. The 211 service will be free to callers not using cell phones or pay phones, but cities, counties and non-profit groups will have to foot the bill.

Organizing services

Santa Clara County supervisors will consider partially funding the $1.7 million cost in next year's budget. That allows organizers from the United Way time to gather additional sponsors and consolidate what is currently a confusing array of referral services offered by hundreds of different agencies.

Some Bay Area counties are further along with centralized referral services. Alameda, for example, could with PUC approval launch 211 phone service within a year. The goal is to have 211 service in every county in the state.

In July 2000, the Federal Communications Commission set aside 211 as a nationwide referral number for health and human services information, launching initiatives across the country. When the national campaign is complete, 211 could be dialed in any part of the country for immediate help and referrals.

So far, 20 states have made 211 service available.

Saving money

Nona Tobin, community-building projects manager for United Way, has the difficult job of raising money for the Santa Clara County 211 initiative, at a time when social service spending is being scaled back dramatically. To make the case, Tobin will use reports from existing agencies showing how much money and staff time is wasted by misdirected and duplicate calls.

What's more, with myriad numbers to call, people in need get frustrated -- or worse, they never get connected to help. A recent University of Nebraska study showed that callers seeking social services typically try seven or eight numbers before they either get help or give up.

``Budget constraints make it all the more important that there be a 211 system,'' said Sharon DeCray, former president of the California Alliance of Information and Referral Services. ``A system like this will mean someone can call a single number and be referred to an organization that continues to provide the services that they need.''