CHAT motel shelter deal falling through

CHICO >> The Chico Housing Action Team’s hoped deal with a local motel to lease and eventually purchase the property for housing people without a home seems to be falling through.

Leslie Johnson, executive director of CHAT, said Monday the owner of the Town House Motel property isn’t ready to sell the property.

The Chico City Council agreed in February to use federal COVID-19 relief funds to start a shortterm lease through CHAT to eventually purchase the property for sheltering and housing people.

But Johnson said she has been told the owner is not currently selling the property.

“We’re a little discouraged,” she said. “We had also planned to lease it as an option, short term.”

Unfortunately, she added an agreement could not be reached on terms for a lease, so “We went another direction,” Johnson said.

When reached Monday night, Chico Mayor Andrew Coolidge said “It’s unfortunate the CHAT

deal is not moving forward as it was the best way forward to add rooms quickly in Chico. I am hopeful that the city and

council working together can come up with a different viable solution quickly.”

Johnson added the nonprofit is still seeking other options to focus on housing, not just temporary shelter beds. “We would still love to buy (the motel) if and when

it

it becomes added.

What happens to the funding promised by council? Johnson said she hopes the nonprofit might still be able to use it for the Everhart Village, which is 20-25 units and, she said, is a project

available,”

she which is responsive to the pandemic’s effects on people who are vulnerable. However, that decision may be up to the council and city staff to determine.