Draft Homeless Strategic Plan (PDF)
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The following are excerpts from the meeting:
Mariposa County Human Services Director Chevon Kothari said homelessness is a real important issue for the community. (Left) Chevon Kothari
She said it was about seven months ago when they began the Strategic Plan process and the plan has evolved. Doing nothing is not an option and we all want to see it gone for different reasons. The costs of doing nothing are greater than the costs of doing something. Emergency response, medical response or law enforcement response costs communities a lot more money.
HomeBase has helped them research best practices.
They are not looking for General Fund dollars. The money comes from Federal and State. Mariposa County does not fund the Human Services Department.
Through stakeholder input they learned that the community would like to see something done about homelessness. The consensus was it has an impact on our economy, our local businesses, on our feelings of community safety and on the lives of those who are homeless.
Most of the people who are homeless have significant issues that impact their ability to get housing. Whether it is mental illness, a health concern or a physical disability there are lot of reasons that people have a hard time getting housing in Mariposa County.
Nearly 1 in 3 who are homeless are small children or seniors.
Representing HomeBase Ashley McIntyre said there are certain models of housing and programs that are effective.
Supportive Housing is very effective for those with disabilities. It provides access to housing and to stay in housing by providing rental payments. Help with maintaining medications, educational and employment services and case access.
Demand on public services is much less with supportive housing.
Funding streams includes the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Continuum of Care program, Section 8 Vouchers, State Mental Health Services funding and various blended funded streams.
Many people who are homeless are short term as a result of a family crisis (like a job loss) and with a program like rental assistance this helps people become stable quickly.
The longer a person is homeless the chances are they will remain homeless.
Home Base is seeing studies that show success rates of 88% to 92% after six months to a year for families that get this supportive housing.
Emergency Housing is for people who are sleeping on the streets right now. This type of housing does not always look like a big housing shelter. It can be a scattered site with a building here and a building there. Can use a temporary housing or motel voucher.
They also want to help people before they are homeless. People who are experiencing a rough patch and can get them back on their feet before they become homeless.
Chevon Kothari said a strategy they would like to implement is a Wellness Center. The Supervisors voted earlier to outsource a Wellness Center. Mental Health has been operating the R.O.A.D. house which is a small home that was designed for mentally ill adults. This is a day place where people could come and get socialization and connect with services. They have outgrown the facility.
The Alliance for Community Transformations was selected to operate a Wellness Center in the county. This would act as a day center. This contract will come before the supervisors on June 23. The proposal would be to have the Wellness Center at where Heritage House is currently located (near the corner of Highway 140 and Highway 49 North) out of the downtown area.
They have a team that has been reaching out to the homeless and trying to learn more about there situations. Some have family and support elsewhere.
They want to grow low income housing assistance.
They have pulled together a group of landlords to work on the homelessness issue. There may be help available to the landlords to bring some rentals up to Section 8 codes.
A longer term strategy is to grow job skills and opportunities for people and then they may take these skills outside of Mariposa.
Chevon Kothari said we do not have enough jobs in Mariposa.
Next Steps
They are hoping the supervisors will adopt the plan.
It is not the adoption of one specific strategy.
The outreach team has already started.
The Wellness Center contract comes before the supervisors in June.
Housing support beginning in July.
HUD has a goal to have all homeless veterans off of the street by December 2015.
If the supervisors approve they will be looking at funding sources and applications for Supportive Housing.
Supervisor Kevin Cann said their were a lot of Emails in the past 24 hours saying do not pass the plan because their concern was this would initiate building a shelter and other items. He said this is just a road map, not a lot of concrete actions. Any actions will come back before the supervisors.
Supervisors Cann said if we do not deal with the low income housing issue we are just feeding the stream of new homeless. Hundreds of rental room properties are being turned into vacation rentals.
We have to have housing for our service level workers.
Supervisor Cann said people are concerned that the county is drawing other people into the area and most say they will deal with locals who are homeless but not Merced's homeless.
Law enforcement is very impacted by the homeless.
All homeless are not created equal.
Supervisor Marshall Long said there are merchants downtown who are upset over the actions of a few individuals. He said many of the homeless cause no problems.
He said if the Sheriff Department does not enough staff the Sheriff needs to come before the supervisors and tell them we need more staff. He is not going to have a certain number of people take over the Art Park - that is our park. This plan will start to solve the problem.
Public Comment
Time is in minutes and seconds and is approx. After the hour mark the time changes to hours, minutes and seconds.
(50:30) Downtown business owner Scott Nady, called for the supervisors to reject or delay this proposal for 60 days. He said it has not been sufficiently reviewed by the public and there needs to be more public comment. He is against this plan. This plan does not end homelessness it only enables the problem and creates a larger bureaucracy. This plan will encourage more of the same behavior. This plan seems to actively recruit people and to be easier to be homeless. He said there are two different classes of homeless people in Mariposa and they are being lumped together to make it seem they are the same. He supports the ones who are willing to work, but the ones who are homeless by choice and others who refused to be helped. Some are criminals. The homeless are better off in other areas.
58:30 Downtown business owner Don Costa, said the plan is an ill-advised proposal filled with generalities, meaningless stats and questionable facts. He said Mariposa has more generous programs here than other areas that attract the homeless.
1:04:40 Scott Eastwood, business owner said he has never had a hand out and worked hard. He said the American Dream is not to be bottle fed. He asked are we going to build it to fill it (referring to the proposed Wellness Center)? He would like to see County buildings converted to help people. He said that he has met a few homeless people that said this is their retirement. The main point is to get these people back to work. He said if his business was flat out done for, the next day he would start another business.
1:08:10 A Mariposa resident said he is for helping the homeless but he has problems with transients. He questions what programs the county has put in place to attract the transients to come up here from the Central Valley and enjoy the freebies. And would like to know if this program will attract the homeless from other areas?
1:16:00 Kim Costa, business owner asked the supervisors to delay the vote. She asked if by creating a 'road map' if it will bring more homeless into Mariposa? She said she parks down by the creek side and has to close her business early because she is afraid to walk down to her car at night.
1:20:24 Mariposa resident Jeanetta Phillips said she is a Christian and believes in giving a hand up not a hand out. She would like this proposal delayed by 60 days. She said if you are a transient from Hawaii you do not need a hand out, you need to work for that food.
1:24:00 Mariposa resident with a B&B George Caitlin, said the Europeans are astounded at the homeless in the United States. He said in this country there are a number of factors that contribute to homelessness. He said the lack of low income housing is adding to the problem. He said we need long term low income housing. He said thank goodness we have a Human Services Department that is trying to solve this problem and where would we be without that - we would be without a plan. He said many that are asking for a delay in the plan are really asking for no plan at all. He said we should ask those that oppose this plan what their plan is. He said there seems to be a notion that we have become a magnet for the homeless but we are not.
1:29:33 Mariposa resident Jeanine Andre said people need help now so approve the plan.
1:33:30 Dr. Mosher said he is concerned for those who do not have a home as a base so they can get jobs. He said the plan is a good general outline and to adopt this plan and not doing anything does not address any of the concerns the public has.
1:37:00 Pastor Ginger of the Mariposa United Methodist Church and coordinator of Mariposa Open Arms said this county has been in denial about the population of the homeless for years, it has been a hidden problem. She said every society will always have vulnerable members who without support cannot live on their own. To say that everyone should work for their food does not recognize the fact that many people who are unable for different reasons (disability, mental illness) to do that. Also many people do not have family. Pastor Ginger said through their studies they have found that 80% of the homeless have significant ties to the community.
1:42:55 Resident Candy O'Donel-Brown said this plan is an attempt to solve a problem, not create a problem and she supports the plan.
1:46:00 A resident said the R.O.A.D. House has outgrown what is was intended to be. By delaying this plan you are delaying help for everyone.
1:50:15 Resident Mr. Myers said no one chooses to be homeless. He does not think everyone is running up to Mariposa because the benefits are so great and then they can live in the street or in the creek.
He said these people are in need of help and how can people say we will help this set of homeless but not this set of homeless. He said people have come to the podium and said they are Christian and want to help these but not those. He asked what would Jesus do? He wants the plan passed.
2:00:00 Dowtown business owner Trish Nady, said she is a Christian and believes in helping the homeless. She said the homeless are going to hurt our town, it is going to hurt Yosemite. She said some people want to be homeless and for those we need to take some direction and authority and get something done.
Supervisor John Carrier said this plan is pretty generic, it outlines a pathway. He said the plan is a good start and six months from now we can look at it and tailor it if we have to.
Chevon Kothari said the Continuum of Care is needed because HUD says communities need to be engaged in a Continuum of Care that identifies their greatest needs. Once they do that they are able to apply for certain funding.
Chevon Kothari said the R.O.A.D. House is really a small house and they cannot provide the types of services they want to provide at the facility.
She said other communities have not experienced an increase of homeless by expanding programs. The programs will be a hand up program not just a handout. She said there is a population that will choose not to be engaged and that needs to be addressed but this is not what this plan has set out to do. When there is a problem they will partner with law enforcement.
Supervisor Rosemarie Smallcombe said this is a beginning of a conversation. It is not cast in concrete. She invites the people with concerns to become active participants. She encourages people to start now.
Supervisor Kevin Cann said if this was easy it would already be done. He said the impact on the businesses is real.
Supervisor Marshall Long said homeless have been in Mariposa since he was a child and before. He said we have to begin creating jobs and the Board has to seriously start looking at this issue.
Supervisor Merlin Jones said we are not all created the same. He said the shortage in housing is a big issue in Mariposa County. He said we need to create jobs in the county and they all do not need to be in tourism. The town needs to be presentable to the tourists. He said the Sheriff has a tough job and he needs our support.
The Supervisors unanimously accepted the Resolution as presented.
For more information:
Local Residents Voice Opinions at Town Hall Meeting on Homelessness in Mariposa County
Town Hall Meeting Flyer on Homelessness in Mariposa County Thursday, May 7, 2015
