Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced $30.7 million in the fifth round of Homekey awards — California’s nation-leading $600 million program to purchase and rehabilitate housing – including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties – and convert them into permanent, long-term housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, who are at high risk for serious illness, and are impacted by COVID-19. (View press release)
The Yurok Tribe in Humboldt County receives $2.2 million in Homekey awards
The Yurok Indian Housing Authority will purchase a motel in Eureka for use as permanent housing for 30 people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Native Americans in Humboldt County represent the highest group/race of unsheltered persons in Humboldt County, and also face increased risk of COVID-19 complications. At least 25 percent of units will be reserved for Native Americans and will provide permanent housing no later than mid-December.
“We know that the first step towards improved health for those facing housing insecurity is a safe place to sleep,” said Roberta Luskin-Hawk, M.D., Chief Executive, St. Joseph Health, Humboldt County. “Providence St. Joseph Health is privileged to be in a position to extend our healing mission to our community and provide the necessary resources to ensure those most at risk have access to the resources they need to lead a healthier life.”
The Providence Eureka House will sit on the current site of the Humboldt Inn on Fourth Street and will include 49 "independent dwelling units" that will house and provide resources to homeless individuals.
"Studies show that secure housing is critical to a community member’s overall health," the release states.
The project is possible through the “Housing is Health” initiative which represents Providence’s commitment to investing in the best practices of community partners, like Providence Supportive Housing and St. Joe's Health-Humboldt County CARE Network (leader of supportive services), who work on temporary and permanent housing in the communities they serve.
The county will be able to refer eligible homeless participants to the housing project from it's coordinated entry system.
Read more about the project in the full press release below.
Providence Eureka House: Transforming Lives and 101 Corridor
New Supportive Housing Project in Eureka will Enrich the Lives of Homeless
and Downtown Neighborhood
Eureka, CA (September 18, 2020) – As part of its continued commitment to community members, St. Joseph Health, Humboldt County (SJH-HC) is excited to announce plans for a new supportive housing project that will serve homeless and chronically homeless individuals in Eureka.
Providence Eureka House will be developed on the current site of the Humboldt Inn, a commercial motel on 4th St. in Eureka. Plans include converting the existing 44-room facility into 49 independent dwelling units that will house and provide resources to homeless individuals. Studies show that secure housing is critical to community member’s overall health. St. Joseph Health’s decision to support the project aligns with their mission of serving all, especially those who are poor or vulnerable.
“We know that the first step towards improved health for those facing housing insecurity is a safe place to sleep,” said Roberta Luskin-Hawk, M.D., Chief Executive, St. Joseph Health, Humboldt County. “Providence St. Joseph Health is privileged to be in a position to extend our healing mission to our community and provide the necessary resources to ensure those most at risk have access to the resources they need to lead a healthier life.”
The project is the result of the “Housing is Health” initiative which represents Providence’s commitment to investing in the best practices of community partners who work on temporary and permanent housing in the communities they serve. Other partners include Providence Supportive Housing (property manager), and the SJH-HC CARE Network (leader of supportive services). Humboldt County will act as an additional partner by referring eligible homeless participants to the project as units become available from its coordinated entry system.
As part of the project, Providence Supportive Housing will begin development of a minimum of 100 affordable housing units to celebrate the centennial of the founding of St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka in 1920.
“Reducing homelessness is about partnerships,” said Tim Zaricznyj, Executive Director, Providence Supportive Housing. “To make a lasting impact, non-profits, for-profits, governments, agencies, and health systems need to work together. Providence is privileged to work with amazing likeminded organizations in Humboldt County that are dedicated to giving highly vulnerable people a fresh start.”
The health system is making a $3.5M investment which is being supplemented by a grant from the Homekey program and is working to obtain additional grant funding. The Homekey grant program is the state’s response to protecting Californians experiencing homelessness who are a high risk for serious illness and are impacted by COVID-19.
A new 6,400 sq. ft. two-story wing will be added to the existing property to add common areas that will include: community rooms, service consultation rooms, security and management office spaces, storage areas, and a kitchen.
The site redesign aims to create a sense of place and community that is both secure and welcoming for residents, neighboring businesses, property owners, and visitors to Eureka. New and existing buildings will be woven together with a wood trellis, fence and screens that will provide privacy, security, warmth and visual continuity on all street frontages.
The state had purchased the trailers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and delivered them to Arcata in early May. According to news reports, the city expected to move the trailers to more permanent locations within a few weeks, and was working with the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services and Arcata House Partnership to select occupants.
Update: The Eureka City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to add a retail building across the street from the Betty Kwan Chinn day center to its 2016 Shelter Crisis Declaration, paving the way for its conversion into a temporary shelter for women and families.
Before the shelter opens, the Betty Chinn Foundation must add another restroom and shower to the building. The foundation also has to change the entrance of the building to its C Street side, directly across the street from the foundation’s existing day center so as not to disturb other businesses on Seventh Street.
Chinn says she has to talk to her partners about funding before starting the renovations, adding that as of right now she doesn’t have enough money to proceed with the renovations.
Chinn and the city of Eureka are hoping the shelter opens next month, so families who impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can have a safe place to stay.
Those in need of shelter can contact the Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center at 407-3833.
To make a donation to the Betty Kwan Chinn Foundation, visit the website here to donate online or mail a check to Betty Chinn’s Homeless Fund, P.O. Box 736, Eureka, CA 95502.
The retail building would be converted into a shelter to allow for “20 people in one bedroom assignments,” according to the staff report, and will be operated by the Betty Kwan Chinn Foundation.
Betty Chinn told the Journal that there are quite a few people who have come to her center looking for shelter as they have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and have nowhere else to go. The new building, she said, would allow them to help people needing a place to stay.
“During this time, people need a safe place to stay, a safe place to be quarantined,” Chinn says. “I want to protect people as best as I can.”
Chinn says that her shelters take serious precautions when it comes to taking in new clients. She says that new residents for her shelters are quarantined for 14 days before they are able to roam the grounds freely, and that she also takes resident’s and staff’s temperature twice daily. If the new shelter is approved, she says she will be taking the same precautions there.
Clients would be able to stay in the shelter as long as they need to get back on their feet, she adds.
“The goal is for them to find permanent housing,” Chinn says. “So they will be able to stay for as long as they need to, to save money and learn to budget themselves for permanent housing.”
If approved by the council, the building will be converted “as soon as possible,” Chinn says adding that she hopes to open the shelter by May 1.
“[The building] is across the street from the day center so it will be easy,” she says. “If it doesn’t, I have to find a new building and new partners. I just hope this goes through.”
The Eureka City Council is also looking to adopt a COVID-19 Assistance Fund Grant Program that will allocate $50,000 in grants to Homeless Service Providers and $200,000 to support mortgage and rent assistance to households who are at 80 percent of area median income (those below 50 percent will be prioritized, the staff report states).
The Eureka City Council meeting will be held April 21, 2020, at 6 p.m. For more agenda items or to watch the virtual meeting remotely, visit the city website here.