We’re hosting a virtual SLO County Housing Summit this week. You are all invited
Over the next two years, $2.75 billion in state funds will be available to sustain and rapidly expand housing for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness — our community cannot afford to leave that money on the table.
When compared to 171 similar communities across the nation, SLO County has the third highest percentage of people experiencing homelessness who are unsheltered; 82% of our neighbors experiencing homelessness do not have a place to go, according to the 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress.
We have an obligation and a duty to do better. Now is the time to take advantage of these unprecedented state resources to help make a difference.
While there is no silver bullet to solving homelessness, permanent supportive housing — a combination of affordable housing assistance and supportive services — has been demonstrated to be one of the most effective tools we have, and in this case, the state will pay for it from the existing budget surplus.
In addition to ending homelessness for people who are chronically homeless, research has demonstrated that permanent supportive housing can also increase housing stability and improve health. A cost-effective solution, permanent supportive housing has also been shown to lower public costs associated with the use of crisis services such as shelters, hospitals, jails and prisons. Studies show that between 75% and 91% of households entering rapid rehousing programs remain housed a year later.
In an effort to support the creation of more of this type of lasting, sustainable housing for San Luis Obispo County, the Housing Coalition of the Central Coast is convening the free, virtual 2021 SLO County Housing Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 6, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Click here to register.
Experts with decades of on-the-ground experience will give a behind-the-scenes look at how similar funding has already been put to use right here on the Central Coast through an innovative partnership that rapidly converted a local motel into desperately needed housing and shelter units.
In just four months, El Camino Homeless Organization, The Housing Authority of SLO and People’s Self-Help Housing leveraged Project Homekey funds to turn a Paso Robles Motel 6 into a 60-bed homeless services center with an additional 60 units of affordable housing.
More than 274 people, including 27 children, utilized the overnight shelter and 10 community members found permanent housing within the first few months of operation.
This is the type of urgency, ingenuity and grit our community needs to embrace to meet the challenge of serving our unsheltered neighbors.
The summit will address how our community can best utilize additional available state funding from the Project Homekey initiative to address our local homelessness crisis over the next two years.
ECHO’s President/CEO Wendy Lewis, HASLO’s Executive Director Scott Smith, and People’s Self-Help Housing’s President/CEO Ken Trigueiro will share insight and opine on:
● Lessons learned from their work in Paso Robles
● Common misconceptions about housing for people experiencing homelessness
● How the community can support the creation of more housing like this
Attendees will leave this event educated, inspired and prepared to advocate for real, actionable solutions that address homelessness throughout San Luis Obispo County.
If you are passionate about creating housing and addressing homelessness, please join us for this timely, informative and free event today. We hope to see you there.
The Housing Coalition of the Central Coast represents the diverse interests of non-profit housing developers, home builders and business advocates, bringing the community together to exchange information and work toward collaborative solutions to create housing opportunities on the Central Coast.