Information and Referral:
Calls come into the 5CHC office every day from community partners seeking help on behalf of their clients, and from individuals and families who often don’t know where to turn or where to begin to look for help. 5CHC staff serves as a source of knowledge and referral, move as many as possible into case management, and arrange for funding to meet immediate personal and/or housing needs.
Housing Assistance:
CDBG Rental Assistance for Homeless Prevention: GROVER BEACH ONLY
For residents of Grover Beach only. Funding is available through summer 2017 only. Support may be provided for rent to prevent homelessness. Clients’ income must be 50% or less of AMI (see threshold at end of document).
Klaproad Rapid Re-Housing Program:
For residents of South Count only. Clients must have become homeless while living in South County and must have been a resident in the area for at least 6 months. Funding is likely available through summer 2017 only. Support may be provided for deposit, rent and supportive need for those who are homeless. Clients’ income must be 50% or less of AMI (see threshold at end of document).
ESG Rapid Re-Housing Program:
Funding and case management support may be provided for deposit, rent and immediate needs for those who are homeless or facing homelessness. For move-in assistance with deposit and rent, clients must be homeless. There is no income threshold. For rental assistance to prevent homelessness, clients’ income must be 30% or less of AMI (see threshold at end of document).
SSVF- Supportive Services for Veteran Families
The SSVF program serves veterans who are currently homeless or at risk of losing housing. The program provides temporary assistance and services to help homeless veterans and their families gain housing stability. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program, provides funding for this program. This is a joint program of Good Samaritan Shelter and 5Cities Homeless Coalition.
Other Forms of Housing Assistance:
5CHC may be able to access other forms of housing support, such as Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, and private donations to leverage these programs.
Immediate Needs:
The purpose of this program is to assist homeless and low-income families and individuals in need in the Five Cities area with limited funds to address their immediate needs, and move them to self–sufficiency. Often helping families to overcome a one-time barrier will enable them to move toward self-sufficiency, stability in the home, and economic improvement. Examples of assistance are utilities, gasoline, bus voucher, auto repairs, clothing, employment readiness, basic needs, emergency food etc. These funds can be used to pay for bills, or for goods or services. No funds are given directly to the individual. Medical Respite Care:
Other Programs & Assistance:
Benefits Advocacy:
5CHC clients are offered additional guidance and advocacy for obtaining and retaining public benefits, including SSI, SSDI, Cal Fresh, etc.
Homeless Youth Outreach:
5CHC’s homeless youth program matches a case manager with unaccompanied youth (aged 16-24) providing education, connection and services. One-on-one case management helps these youth with immediate needs, housing and development of an individualized Action Plan to help them achieve independent living, steady employment, and continued education.
Short-Term Medical Respite:
Working to improve discharge planning and case management with Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, the program serves homeless patients requiring temporary respite care. Funds will assist in providing post-hospitalization temporary respite care, follow-up services, shelter, detox services, food provision, and introduction to health services to homeless clients. Program is offered in partnership with Dignity Health, Good Samaritan Shelter, and Community Health Centers of the Central Coast.
Social Model Detox with Good Samaritan’s Recovery Point in Santa Maria:
For those seeking assistance with substance abuse, 5CHC has funding to support participation in Recovery Point, a social-model detox program located on the campus with Good Samaritan Shelter in Santa Maria. Recovery Point Acute Care is a 12-bed inpatient drug and alcohol detox program that provides 7-14 day acute detoxification. The program provides a safe and protected residential environment for clients suffering from withdrawal symptoms who are unable to build a clean and sober foundation on their own.
Warming Center:
5CHC has operates a warming center during nights with particularly severe weather (a forecast of rain or temperatures below 40 degrees). It is our intent to activated the warming center again in fall of 2017, in a new location, yet to be determined. During the winter of 2016-17 the Warming Center was open a total of 69 nights, and provided night-time shelter from the storm for a total of 1829 “bed nights” between Nov. 1 and March 31. The average number of guests per night was 27, with some nights as high as 42. This was an eight-fold increase in nightly attendance over the previous year, which was only open 11 nights.
In-Kind Donations:
The Coalition receives support from many community groups with such things as clothing, shoes, hygiene kits, feminine products, food and snack sacks. These items are then distributed with the help of our many community partners to those in need throughout the community.
