Hello everyone,
I’m sure you’ve all heard the news already about Gavin Newsome’s Press Release and how that will be affecting HHAP3 funding.
As the Continuum of Care lead agency, the Coalition of Homeless Services worked with the Counties of Monterey and San Benito to create a comprehensive plan as a required component of Round 3 of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) program administered by Cal ICH. Today, we received news that Governor Newsom rejected all California communities’ plan submissions because they would collectively reduce unsheltered homelessness by only 2% and he is calling for more commitment from local communities to aggressively end unsheltered homelessness.
Governor Newsom isn’t wrong in his reasoning. California is home to more than half of all people without shelter in America. And although we fell alongside our colleagues across the State, we must remember that our local region has seen a general decline in homelessness since we peaked in 2017. We stand by our regional Lead Me Home Plan and the strategies for our HHAP 3 planning and accept the challenge of supporting the needs of our unhoused residents with the sense of urgency that Governor Newsom is highlighting.
The five-year plan to reduce homelessness by 50% by 2026 showcases just that, and we’re exceeding our goals already in the first year of implementation, having reduced homelessness by 11% across the region. Our goals and strategies are outlined very clearly in our yearly action plans.
Our region has already committed to an aggressive approach to support our unhoused population by prioritizing more permanent supportive housing, implementing Housing First principles, and connecting people from the streets straight to permanent housing. We will continue to advocate for more housing and services to meet the needs of our very diverse unhoused neighbors.
We look forward to meeting with the Governor later this month and continuing the conversation on how we can best support our unhoused residents.
Warmly,
Genevieve Lucas-Conwell
Executive Director