The Care Continuum
Attempting to remedy a shortage of studio and one-bedroom apartments in the area, Arcata House created a program called Apartments First!, which offers permanent supportive housing and services to physically and/or mentally disabled homeless. By working with local landlords, program organizers place clients into apartments. Landlords know that if there’s a problem, they can contact the program’s housing specialist or the care coordinator, who connects clients with social services and helps them with applications and paperwork. “HUD loved that idea,” Taylor said. And they continue to support it. In the most recent round of funding, HUD provided Apartments First! with a $108,844 renewal grant. Another $82,353 went to fund a county-wide computerized reporting system called the Homeless Management Information System. Eureka’s Multiple Assistance Center, which has struggled for funding over the years, received the largest grant — $118,074 in renewal funds.
Olsen credits the Humboldt Area Foundation as being the first local agency to get behind the collaborative approach of the HHHC. In order to continue making headway, Olsen said that the coalition must extend even further. “I think it is gonna take not only the Humboldt Housing and Homeless Coalition, and not only the county Department of Health and Human Services, but I think we’re gonna be asking the faith-based community. I think we need to be working with police officers so they’re not picking up the same people again and again. I think we need to work with the medical providers that identify people that are fragilely housed,” Olsen said. She considers community-wide cooperation vital and a natural part of the maturation process. “When I think about the coalition — for a while I thought we were kinda like a toddler,” Olsen said, “but I think we’re actually a bit further along than that now. I think we can write our own name now, and we know some more words. And I think really the next step is reaching out. We can’t do this without the community.”
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on the cover
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Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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