Community solutions required for community problems
Community problems require community solutions. Of all the insights that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust into focus, this is the one that we hope will have the greatest impact on people’s thinking in the months and years ahead. Top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions will always fall short because they fail to account for the unique circumstances and characteristics of vulnerable populations.
In January 2019 the Monterey County homeless census identified 2,422 homeless people, of which 35 percent were female and 25 percent were families. It is widely known that these point-in-time numbers are low given that the unsheltered are transient and often hidden. Another study by Pivot Learning and the National Center for Youth Law found that 9.9% of school-aged youth in Monterey County were homeless, a much higher percentage than San Francisco, Alameda, or Santa Clara Counties. As COVID-19 and the economic downturn increase inequities, homelessness in Monterey County is becoming a deepening humanitarian crisis. The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the fragility of life for the vulnerable in our community.
Our two organizations—Gathering for Women and Community Human Services—have joined forces to develop a new model to address this crisis: a new shelter designed to meet the unique needs of homeless women and families.
When it opens in a few weeks, Casa de Noche Buena in Seaside will be the only low-barrier shelter on the Monterey Peninsula serving single women and families with children. The facility will accommodate about 30 people at a time, providing both short-term shelter for the most vulnerable in our community, and long-term solutions—comprehensive case management, housing navigation, access to free basic health care, and referrals to other services. For up to 90 consecutive days, women and families with children at Casa de Noche Buena will benefit from a place to live and supportive services.
Reflecting a true community-based approach to addressing this need, the shelter will be managed collaboratively by our two homegrown organizations—Community Human Services (CHS), dedicated to providing people dealing with addiction, mental illness and homelessness with the tools and support to overcome these challenges; and Gathering for Women (GFW), committed to providing homeless and housing insecure women on the Monterey Peninsula with supportive resources and a caring community.; At Casa de Noche Buena, CHS and GFW case managers will provide guests with linkages to education, job training, employment and housing resources, as well as assessment and referrals to mental health, substance abuse and other services depending on their individual needs. The goal in every case will be to provide Casa de Noche Buena guests with a bridge to long-term housing and economic stability.
Renovation of the shelter facility is nearly finished thanks to funding from a “Homeless Emergency Assistance Program” grant. This grant will also provide a few months of support for shelter operations, however additional funding will be needed for ongoing operational costs in 2021 and beyond. A special-purpose fund has been established at the Community Foundation for Monterey County (the “Casa Shelter Fund”) for contributions from local government, businesses, individual donors and the community at large that support the ongoing sustainability of Casa de Noche Buena.
As the only low-barrier shelter in the area serving single women and families with children, Casa de Noche Buena will fill an important void, and while it’s just one piece of a larger puzzle, our goal is for Casa de Noche Buena to play a crucial role as a model “housing first” solution for communities everywhere. We welcome the support and partnership of agencies, businesses and individuals who share our deep concern for the most vulnerable members of our Monterey Peninsula community.
For more information on Community Human Services, visit www.chservices.org). For information on Gathering for Women, visit www.gatheringforwomen.org.