REDWOOD CITY — In its fight to end homelessness, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday awarded three Peninsula cities a total of $2.4 million to help end homelessness.
The money going to Redwood City, Millbrae and Half Moon Bay will go along way in expanding existing programs that steer individuals and families experiencing homelessness into shelter and services. And on the coast the money will go toward providing a safe parking area in Half Moon Bay complete with hygiene facilities and outreach services for people living in their vehicles.
“We challenged our community to develop innovative ideas that will help end homelessness and promised to assist with funding those ideas,” Board of Supervisors President Don Horsley said. “These cities are on the front lines of our countywide efforts to tackle homelessness and also treat everyone without shelter with dignity and respect.”
The three cities will engage their share of the county’s population, which as of the most recent point in time count is about 1,092 unsheltered residents. The county’s three grants will go toward transitioning those folks to interim and eventually permanent housing and they’ll be supplemented by local funds.
Redwood City is set to get a little over $1 million. The city will use the money to build upon the county’s efforts to increase emergency shelter and emergency supportive housing capacity and leverage state and city funding to expand intensive homeless outreach through local non-profits and organizations. The city is also seen as the county’s innovator, and the money will help officials identify and pilot new solutions to homelessness that could eventually expand countywide.
Half Moon Bay will receive about $980,000 to supplement a city program to provide a safe-parking site for people living in vehicles, along with showers, restrooms, laundry and outreach services. The safe-parking site is set to open in 2023 and the nonprofit WeHope will provide case management and give unhoused individuals connections to housing and employment.
“By providing for a safe place to park, use shower and bathroom facilities, and housing and other support services, this program will improve the safety, health, and quality of life for those on the Coastside who live in vehicles,” Half Moon Bay Mayor Debbie Ruddock said. “We’re grateful to the County of San Mateo for this crucial funding and partnership, as well as WeHope and other involved nonprofits which work so diligently to provide substantial, practical help to those in need.”
In Millbrae, officials are getting about $370,000 to focus on unsheltered populations downtown, linking them with shelter services, transportation and referrals. The effort will expand on an existing program centered around helping unhoused people on the BART and San Francisco Airport transportation corridor.
Through its partnership with LifeMoves, the city will provide “rapid response and outreach” to support homeless individuals.
“Our Homeless Outreach Team pilot program at the Millbrae transit station, in partnership with San Mateo County and the City of Millbrae has proven itself to be a successful model,” CEO of LifeMoves Aubrey Merriman said. “The continuation of this program will ensure that unhoused individuals exiting BART trains receive the care and resources necessary to move off the streets.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com