New homeless support program aims to help Salinas youth get back on their feet
SALINAS >> A new resource for homeless youth in Salinas has opened, assisting individuals with basic needs, the search for housing and financing the move-in process.
The hub, located at 212 N. Main St., will provide housing navigation services and rehousing financial assistance specifically for homeless aged 18-24. Individuals visiting the hub will also have access to hygiene and first aid products, food, clothes and computers. The hub is open Tuesday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We have a lot more homeless youth out in the community and being able to reach them where they’re at before things escalate is really important,” said Evangelina Ochoa, senior program officer for the organization’s Homeless Services. “Being able to give them the hope that it will get better, that there are people out there who do care and want to see them succeed.”
At the previous office for the organization’s Street Outreach Team, clients were not allowed to come inside and sensitive meetings had to be held in public spaces. The team wanted an office where they could welcome clients in person, so they began the search for a new space.
The program is part of Community Human Services, a nonprofit dedicated to providing mental health, substance abuse and homeless services to Monterey County residents. The location will also consist of a Housing Navigator, which will help clients through the process of securing permanent, affordable housing.
The Street Outreach Team visits areas around the county which are known to be frequented by unhoused individuals and asks if they can provide any assistance. The team can help with job searching, get individuals set up with social services and provide basic needs like food, water and more.
Ochoa said it’s important for the outreach team to make connections with the people they are helping before offering services. They tend to approach homeless individuals and offer any meals, snacks or hygiene products they have on hand.
This process is about “building that trust with them and letting them know that there is hope,” said Ochoa. “Making sure that we’re following through, making sure they have a safe place for them to go to and talk to someone when they’re ready and meeting them where they’re at is really important to us.”
The outreach team “has to gain that trust, just like anyone else. They’re not just going to give it to you right off the bat, they’re going to see ‘is this someone I can really trust? Are they going to follow through?’” explained Ochoa. “It does take time, especially with our youth, to gain their trust.”
Every two years, the Homeless Point-in-Time Count and Survey is conducted to get a comprehensive count of an area’s homeless population in order to measure the prevalence of homelessness in communities that receive federal funding to provide homeless services.
In 2022, the count found 2,047 individuals experiencing homelessness in the county. Of those, 66% were determined to be unsheltered, meaning they resided in places not meant for human habitation such as cars or parks. Around 34% were sheltered and stayed in emergency or transitional housing.
Of the people without proper long-term shelter, 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24. The survey asked what the top obstacles were to obtaining permanent housing and 71% attributed a lack of rental assistance to the issue.
“It’s really important to make sure that we get our younger population, especially the homeless youth that are unaccompanied,” said Ochoa. “If we’re able to get them at that age, we’re helping them succeed in being self-sufficient and transitioning out of homelessness into permanent housing.”
After the Street Outreach Team introduces clients to the organization, the team helps set them up with IDs, Social Security cards, benefits like CalFresh and anything else they may need to get back on their feet.
Once they’re ready to apply for housing, the Housing Navigator steps in to help them apply to all housing opportunities out there for them, according to Ochoa. The counselors help with the entire process from applying to signing the lease.
“We don’t just start the process and then end it,” said Ochoa. The housing navigators continue to check in with clients and make sure the housing is working out and they are able to support themselves. “We are following through, we do care about them being successful even after being housed.”
For more information about Safe Place Salinas, visit https://chservices.org/ or call (831) 658-3811.
