FRESNO COUNTY – The regions of Fresno and Madera counties have a new plan of action to address the ever-present issue of homelessness.
On Aug. 5, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Action Plan, which aims to apply for and make use of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 6 (HHAP-6) Grant funding. This regional plan is a collaboration between multiple county departments, as well as the Fresno and Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC).
The new plan will see $20.6 million split between Fresno County ($4.3 million), the city of Fresno ($4.3 million), the FMCoC ($5.2 million) and Madera County (610,000). Following this approval, Fresno County will also serve as the administrative entity for the FMCoC, $9.5 million from their combined allocations.
“I appreciate the work of our Department of Social Services, our Department of Public Health and the Department of Behavioral Health, all working together with the Continuum of Care, and we need to continue these collaborative efforts,” said Supervisor Magsig during the board meeting.
Before the vote, the board heard a joint presentation from Dylan McCully, homelessness program manager from the County Administrative Office, and Laura Moreno, division chief of the Fresno County Department of Social Services and chair of the FMCoC. In this presentation, the two outlined how funding will be allocated, put forth goals to meet by 2029 and highlighted local homelessness efforts that will continue to be funded by HHAP-6.
A specific note that McCully made was that out of the funding allocations under the regional plan, a minimum of 10% must be spent on youth services, while only a maximum of 7% was to be put toward administrative costs.
Out of the county and FMCoC’s $9.5 million, funding will be split amongst:
- Interim shelter, which will receive $3,421,411.91, or around 36%
- Rental assistance, which will receive $1,899,674.39, or around 20%
- Street outreach, which will receive $1,100,000, or around 10%
- Prevention and shelter diversion, which will receive $887,456.84, or around 9%
- Youth rental assistance, which will receive $802,771, or around 8%
- Youth interim shelter, which will receive $718,726, also around 8%
- Administrative costs, which will receive $688,390, or around 7%
- Homelessness management information systems, which will receive $50,000, or about 1%
Through these investments, the county hopes to meet benchmark statistics such as reducing unsheltered homelessness by 5%, increasing exits from homelessness to permanent housing by 15%, and reducing first-time homelessness by 5%.
Near the end of the presentation, Moreno highlighted work that is already underway within the plan’s service area, and reminded the board of how all of these numbers are actually materialized.
She highlighted the Triage Center Emergency Shelter Services, which offers beds and wraparound services for stays of up to 90 days at a time. Moreno also shouted out the Marjaree Mason Center, which offers beds and services for victims of domestic violence for up to 90 days.
To emphasize the plan’s focus on providing for the youth, Moreno also put a spotlight on the Sanctuary Transition Shelter, which provides housing for young adults age 18-24 for up to four months, as well as Monte Vista Terrace, which offers rental assistance and rehousing services for families with children for up to 12 months.
Looking at immediate next steps, the county must now send a single HHAP-6 application on behalf of all jurisdictions named in the plan by Aug. 29. Upon approval of the application, the state will issue a funding agreement which will be sent back to the board for approval.
After final approval from the board, HHAP-6 will be applied to future diversion, outreach and youth services, along those that have already been awarded by the board.
