November 19, 2020 at 9:08 pm

During their meeting on Tuesday, the Stockton City Council allocated $6.4 million to combat the city’s chronic homelessness problem. The money was a grant from the state’s Homeless Housing Assistance Prevention Program (HHAP), and was distributed to a total of twelve projects.

The largest single handout, at $2.34 million, was to the Stockton Shelter for the Homeless (SSH) to develop an emergency homeless shelter and navigation center. The money will go towards adding 46 beds to the shelter and equipping the navigation center with healthcare, housing navigation, peer support, and employment assistance.

Another $341,000 went to the SSH to establish the Welcome Home Program, which will help homeless individuals obtain and move into permanent housing and provide rental assistance and landlord incentives. The organization also received $177,000 for outreach services for individuals seeking housing.

$581,000 was allocated for the Central Valley Low Income Housing Corporation (CVLIHC) for a program to help homeless individuals find housing. The program includes rent and utility deposits, rent payments, and incentive payments for landlords who have not previously rented to homeless individuals.

$341,000 also went to the CVLIHC for a rapid re-housing program, targeted towards families with children, people exiting jail, or those fleeing domestic violence. Rapid re-housing is directed towards people who do not need intensive support services and can be returned quickly to housing.

The final grant for the CVLIHC was $129,000 for the Relax Inn on Wilson Way, which is being converted into 39 housing units through funding from the state’s Project Homekey. The grant money will be going towards rent support, property management, and wraparound services.

$339,000 went to Ready to Work San Joaquin to provide job development skills and employment opportunities. The program targets a wide array of individuals, including veterans, the chronically homeless, people aged 18 to 24, and those struggling with addiction.

The Children’s Home of Stockton received $375,000 to serve youth aged 12 to 18 who are at risk of homelessness or are already homelessness. Many of these youth have faced significant trauma, neglect, or abuse or have social or behavioral issues.

The Housing Authority of San Joaquin, in conjunction with the Delta Community Developers Corporation, was allocated $222,000 to incentivize landlords to rent to homeless individuals or families. The final organization to receive money was the Family Resource and Referral Center, which was awarded $258,000 for data support and staff for a countywide homeless care system.

The rest of the grant funds were split up between planning ($129,000) and administrative ($452,000) costs.

“I think the conversation today really highlights the fact that, again, going from zero to $6 million is a huge accomplishment in terms of money. But $6 million is still a drop in the bucket and there’s still so much work to do,” said Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs.