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Clothing for the Homeless

Board Sets Priorities for New Homeless Assistance Grant

Author: Social Services
Date: 2/20/2020 8:22:34 AM

The County Board of Supervisors vote to set priorities for how new homeless assistance funds will be spent.


The County Board of Supervisors voted on January 28, 2020 on priorities for the new Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) $3.3 million grant the County will receive later this year. The most recent Homeless Point in Time Count for San Luis Obispo County found there were 1,483 persons experiencing homeless in San Luis Obispo County within a single day in January 2019.
 
The HHAP grant is a one-time grant from the State of California to counties and local Homeless “Continuums of Care” (COC) to help address homelessness. San Luis Obispo County has been designated to receive both the county and COC allocation for the San Luis Obispo County area. Combined, the two allocations from the State will provide $3.3 million for homeless assistance in the County. The grant is the second, major, one-time only grant for homeless assistance given by the State to local communities.
 
Last year, the State awarded the County approximately $4.8 million under the Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP). When HEAP funding was provided to several projects last year, several of the selected projects were not fully funded because the total requests exceeded the total grant funding available however, the total grants awarded were not enough to provide ongoing support for the programs. On January 28, 2020, The County Board of Supervisors voted to prioritize the new HHAP grant to bring the HEAP projects to completion, and fund for a new project to assist homeless persons living on the North Coast.
 
Should there be remaining funds, the County will prioritize homeless projects that fill other identified gaps. The County’s Homeless Services Oversight Council has also agreed to these same set of priorities. A local Request for Proposals for the HHAP funding is expected to be issued this Spring.
 
Four projects were awarded HEAP funding in 2019 included:
 
  • The North County Homeless Services Project. This project will fund capital improvements at the El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) shelter and expand the shelter from a 50 bed shelter to a 60 bed shelter. In addition, the money will help fund construction of the First Step Housing Navigation Center in Paso Robles on land donated by the city. The Housing Navigation Center will provide seasonal shelter beds from April to November each year and will also offer a year-round dinner program combined with case management services. ECHO will also provide a case manager to do outreach to unsheltered homeless persons in the North County.
 
  • The Five Cities Housing Partnership. HEAP funding was used to acquire a building where the 5Cities Homeless Coalition will provide case management and other assistance to homeless persons in the South County. HEAP funds were also used to help acquire property on which 19 units of permanent, supportive housing will be built.
 
  • Medically Assisted Withdrawal Management Project. This funding will be used to build a new facility on land donated by the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo next to the 40 Prado Homeless Services Center in San Luis Obispo. When complete, the project will offer up to ten recuperative beds for persons in need of medically assisted withdrawal management assistance.
 
  • Homeless Youth Project. This project will provide funding for outreach, housing assistance and case management for unaccompanied homeless youth.
 
For more information about HEAP and HHAP, please contact: Laurel Weir at [email protected] or 805-781-1833.