Chinatown Homeless Action Team
Monday, January 26, 2015 10:30 – 12:00 pm
Meeting atSalinasCity Hall; 200 Lincoln Ave.Salinas
Attendees & Affiliations: Dominique Cohen Luis Preciado(Mid-Pen Housing),Don Reynolds (City of Salinas), Jeff Lehner (CSUMB Learning Center), Jody Gulley (Interim, Inc.),Seth Pollack (CSUMB),
Coalition Staff: Katherine Thoeni and Katrina McKenzie
Welcome & Introductions -The meeting began at10:43am.
- 2015 Homeless Census:
2015 Homeless Census is a four part activity and is vastly approaching. Census activities include the Unsheltered Count (PIT) to be conducted on January 28th, 2015, the Homeless Surveys to be conducted within the three weeks after the Unsheltered Count has been completed, the Sheltered Count (PIT) to be conducted on the night of January 27th, 2015, and Housing Inventory Count (HIC).
-McKenzie is in the process of reaching out to Non-HMIS participating agencies to start getting HIC and PIT data.
-HIC info was distributed to MOSBE CHSP Members last CHSP Board meeting.
-Volunteer/Homeless Guide aspect for the unsheltered count is looking well.
-One Starfish-Safe parking program is on board and has been assisting ASR with homeless guides to help with the count.
-CSUMB Hunger & Homeless students have volunteered for census day.
-Thoeni has contacted the Big Sur park Rangers, Sheriff Dept., and clinic to provide secondary data for the census.
-There will be four deployment centers throughout Monterey and San BenitoCounties: Seaside, Salinas, Hollister, and Soledad. All deployment centers are set and ready to go with a Coalition member agency at each site along with an ASR staff member.
-Gulley has volunteered to shuttle homeless guides from Chinatown to Labor Council on the day of the census.
-School district data is not included in the census numbers but will be included in the census report as a subset.
- Copacabana Project:
-Reynolds has secured an architect for the Copacabana pilot program project. Building plans are being put together and will take about 6 weeks. The plans ate to include 4 offices, men and women showers and restrooms, a conference/meeting room, and classrooms.
-Restrooms and showers estimated to be completed by June 30, 2015. Still needs to be decided on how to regulate/monitor the showers. Example: Coin operated for 15 minutes.
-$18,000.00 to sanitize the whole building.
-Reynolds reports that 3 services providers have shown interest in running the facility and will start drafting the RFP. RFP to include
-Ability to collaborate with partners.
-Ability to collect data.
-SDCB and CHAT to be some sort of lead on the pilot program.
-CHAT and SDCB to become the governing council to oversee the pilot program.
-CHAT to create protocol, safety plans, reviews quarterly reports, site visits. SDCB to approve all that data.
-Integrate Safety and Sanitation committee.
- Continued Discussion: Mid-Pen Projects/ General Updates:
Preciado reports MidPen is working on several funding applications one of which is from Corporation of Supportive Housing called the Pay for Success Grant. Wilson is taking the lead on that application. Thoeni has offered assistance with the application as well.
-City Home Application of $300,000.00. Application due Feb. 5 and are on track to make that deadline.
-Preciado requests letters of support from the group. It is requested Preciado provides a templet of the letter to be sent out to the group.
-Working on the Affordable Housing (Sustainable Communities, CAP & Trade monies) application. This is $130 million available with a very tight deadline.
-Chinatown falls out of the disadvantaged community but due to the new guidelines they still qualify due to being within 1 mile of a disadvantaged community. MidPen will still apply. The City of Salinas has provided assistance to help apply for this very complicated application.
- Other:
-Pollock informs group of the Participatory Action Resource class at CSUMB. Is there anything that will be helpful for the students to do for CHAT? To be put on agenda for next meeting.
-Gully informs group that as of end of the month and housing on Lexington is ending. Lease with SOP is up and they will be taking their property back.Some residents have been moved to other programs, some going back to relatives, and some with nowhere to go. No low-income housing. Mitchell is looking into purchasing housing.
-Reynolds reports that the City of Salinas owns hotel property in Chinatown; runs about $400 a month, good too look into this for possible housing.
- Topics Left for next Meeting discussion:
- Debrief SDCB Strategic Planning Retreat Outcomes
- Next CHAT BBQ
- Continued Discussion: Bridge St. Update re the clean-up of the Chevron property.
- Continued Discussion: Affordable / Supportive Housing for those with mental health and/or substance use issues (i.e. low-demand housing)
Meeting adjourned at 12:02 pm.
Next Meeting February 23, 2015
Minutes Prepared by Katrina McKenzie.
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