McGuire joins Gov. Newsom at round table meeting on rural homelessness

SACRAMENTO >> Gov. Gavin Newsom conducted a Zoom meeting Friday, with approximately 300 listeners connected and he was joined by Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) for a round table discussion on homelessness in rural communities. Newsom updated the public and those on the call on his $30.7 million in fifth round of Project Homekey awards.

His fourth round, which was Project Roomkey, said Newsom, has benefitted 22,000 people since April. “It’s been a phenomenal success,” he said and added that Project Homekey is a “pathway out of poverty.”

With today’s awards, the Governor’s Office noted that the state has now provided all available Homekey funding — more than $627 million — to local jurisdictions, ahead of schedule. The most recent round of Homekey awards goes to three jurisdictions for three projects totaling 210 units.

To date, more than $627 million has been awarded to 45 applicants and 71 projects totaling

4,646 units. The average per-unit cost to Homekey is $135,000 — well below the average cost in California to build new housing units. Newsom noted that the administration is working with the Legislature to make an additional $200 million in Coronavirus Relief Funding available for Homekey.

“When it comes to homelessness no community is immune, no person is untouched and while the issue is widely thought to affect only our urban centers, the truth is that it occurs in rural areas, small towns and remote parts of our state,” said Newsom. “Through Homekey, we are making historic investments that will have lasting impacts in our big cities, but also our small towns and tribal communities. These investments are helping thousands of Californians vulnerable to COVID-19 exposure get access to permanent, supportive housing.”

Tribal Yurok leader, Joe James, who attended the meeting from Del Norte County, said this program is trying to right the government’s wrongs by getting into rural areas.

“Communities on the North Coast have some of the highest rates of homelessness per capita in America and it’s shameful. That’s why we have been grateful to work with Governor Newsom, day and night, to secure funding that will build permanent housing and expand resources for mental health and substance abuse counseling for our homeless neighbors,” said McGuire. “Project Homekey will help change lives, especially here in rural Northern California, where we need it most.”

Over the past five years, tens of millions has been secured to support initiatives that expand shelters, build permanent housing and strengthen services on the North Coast, according to information released by McGuire prior to Friday’s zoom call.

McGuire noted that over the past several weeks, $600 million has been invested in Project Homekey grants, including critical projects in Sonoma, Del Norte, Marin, Lake, Humboldt and Mendocino counties.

“Project Homekey is truly a life- changing and life-saving program, and it will make a lasting difference long after this pandemic is over,” said Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister). “The City of Salinas in my district will now have the funding and opportunity to house over 100 chronically homeless residents, giving them access to much-needed social and medical services to help their successful transition off the street and restore dignity back into their lives. This project is much more than just housing — it’s a lifeline — and I thank the Governor and his staff for their bold and hard work on tackling this issue.”

Others in the Zoom meeting were District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson of Placer County who said the “Population of homeless has risen,” but through project Roomkey, the county has converted a hotel in King’s Beach with a 55-year lease. The first shelter of its kind in Placer County.

“Homelessness is a growing crisis in every corner of the state and while it may not be as visible in our rural communities it is a rapidly growing problem,” said Gustafson. “The property we’re acquiring through the Homekey project will have a lasting impact on our ability to serve the needs of the homeless population in eastern Placer County, not just during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Also in virtual attendance was Jackie Valencia, a mother of seven children, who while homeless had her children taken away, but now through Project RoomKey, which she learned about in April, has been reunited with them during the past five months.

Nineteen-year-old Benito Gomez Jr, was another example of Newsom’s who has thrived from Project RoomKey and has been working with Bianca Bisi, dean of Student Equity and Achievement at Imperial Valley College in Imperial California, in what Newsom called, “Giving back. Paying it Forward.”

According to their website, the SEA program serves all students and takew pride in advocating for students who identify as LGBTQIA+, Black or African American, veteran, disabled, foster youth, homeless, formerly incarcerated, and student athletes.

According to data made public by the Governor’s office, building on the success of Project Roomkey, Newsom in July announced the availability of $600 million in funding for Homekey, the next phase in the state’s response protecting Californians experiencing or at risk of homelessness, following approval by the Legislature as part of the 2020-21 annual state budget.

T he Governor noted that of that amount, $550 million was provided to cities and counties by California’s direct allocation of the federal Coronavirus Aid Relief Funds, with an additional $50 million provided by the state to supplement the acquisition and provide initial operating funds. The Homekey funds were expended in compliance with federal regulations in response to COVID-19. Last week, the Governor also announced a partnership with Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to developing affordable housing, to distribute $45 million in funding — $20 million from Blue Shield of California and $25 million from Kaiser Permanente — to support operating subsidies for Homekey projects.

HCD began accepting applications for Homekey on July 22, 2020. He noted that the response from local governments and housing providers was significant — demonstrating the strength of these state-local partnerships. By the application deadline of September 29, a total of 147 applications had been received from 73 entities statewide, with over $1 billion requested.