Documented by Artemes Gidram

Here’s what you need to know

  • Preparations to continue Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grant funding are moving forward in the coming months.
  • The city of Fresno is looking to provide property for a new domestic violence shelter.
  • An individual was allegedly kicked out of a shelter late at night during heavy rain and without their belongings.

Follow-up questions

  • Will Marjaree Mason Center or another organization operate the new domestic violence shelter? 
  • What are the issues going on at shelters and housing locations that lead to individuals being kicked out late at night?

Notes

The Scene

The Fresno Madera County Continuum of Care Board meeting was held on Jan. 11, 2024. The meeting took place entirely over Zoom. The agenda is available on the Continuum of Care’s website https://fresnomaderahomeless.org/.

Names of Officials:

Laura Moreno, chair

Jody Ketcheside, vice-chair

Sara Mirhadi, secretary

Misty Gattie-Blanco, treasurer

Alex Sanchez, member-at-large

Katie Wilbur,  member-at-large

Joel Bugay, regional representative for Madera

Philip Skei, regional representative

Claudia Cazares, regional representative

Doreen Eley, collaborative applicant representative

  • The meeting started at 8:30 a.m.
  • Moreno announced that there would be at least a few in-person meetings in the coming months to gauge how they go. No further details were given.
  • Fresno Madera Continuum of Care officer elections
    • Elections for chair and secretary will be held during the March general meeting.
    • Nominees need to be current members of the Continuum of Care.
    • Chair nominees must either be currently on the board of directors or have previously served a two-year term on the board.
    • The due date to turn in applications to become a member of the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care is March 1. Membership information can be found on their website.
  • Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement (YHSI) grant, Misty Gattie-Blanco
    • Gattie-Blanco is not sure if the organization will meet the grant application deadline but wants to move forward with creating a youth advisory board to find future funding sources.
  • Homeless, Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) grant annual update, Jillian Gayton, City of Fresno
    • HHAP Round 1 grant for July 1, 2021-Sept. 30, 2023
      • Emergency shelters
        • Total Amount Obligated: $4,317, 884.27
        • Total Expenditures: $4.3 million 
      • Transitional housing – Youth
        • Total Amount Obligated: $492,659.69
        • Total Expenditures: $286,651.53
      • Contract policing
        • Total Amount Obligated: $84,305.59
        • Total Expenditures: $25,836.40
      • Outreach and coordination
        • Total Amount Obligated: $596, 239.40
        • Total Expenditures: $494,892.81
      • Systems support – Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)
        • Total Amount Obligated: $35,000
        • Total Expenditures: $34,457.70
      • New emergency shelters
        • Total Amount Obligated: $201,080.00
        • Total Expenditures: $201,080.00
      • Administrative costs
        • Total Amount Obligated: $431,077.23
        • Total Expenditures: $248,518.97
      • Totals
        • Total Amount Obligated: $6,158,246.18
        • Total Expenditures: $5.6 million
    • HHAP Round 2 grant for July 1, 2021-Sept. 30, 2023
      • Emergency Shelters
        • Total Amount Obligated: $1.82 million
        • Total Expenditures: $1.81 million
      • Transitional housing – Youth
        • Total Amount Obligated: $232,893.68
        • Total Expenditures: $23,399.37
      • Contract policing
        • Total Amount Obligated: $110,924.93
        • Total Expenditures: $0
      • Street Outreach
        • Total Amount Obligated: $148,321.60
        • Total Expenditures: $0
      • Services coordination
        • Total Amount Obligated: $148,078.37
        • Total Expenditures: $118,580.63
      • Systems support – Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)
        • Total Amount Obligated: $48,939.00
        • Total Expenditures: $0
      • New emergency shelters
        • Total Amount Obligated: $193,051.89
        • Total Expenditures: $193,051.89
      • Administrative costs
        • Total Amount Obligated: $203,781.97
        • Total Expenditures: $0
      • Totals
        • Total Amount Obligated: $2.9 million
        • Total Expenditures: $2.1 million
    • HHAP Round 3 grant for July 1, 2021-Sept. 30, 2023
      • Emergency shelters
        • Total Amount Obligated: $5.6 million 
        • Total Expenditures: $2.4 million
      • Transitional housing – Youth
        • Total Amount Obligated: $679,738.00
        • Total Expenditures: $0
      • Street Outreach
        • Total Amount Obligated: $679,738.00
        • Total Expenditures: $0
      • Administrative Costs
        • Total Amount Obligated: $526,698.00
        • Total Expenditures: $0
      • Totals
        • Total Amount Obligated: $6.9 million
        • Total Expenditures: $2.4 million
    • HHAP Round 4 grant for July 1, 2021-Sept. 30, 2023
      • Emergency shelters
        • Total Amount Obligated: $6.6 million
        • Total Expenditures: $0
      • Youth set-a-side
        • Total Amount Obligated: $0
        • Total Expenditures: $0
      • Administrative costs
        • Total Amount Obligated: $788,579.79
        • Total Expenditures: $0.00
      • Totals
        • Total Amount Obligated: $7.4 million
        • Total Expenditures: $0
    • The city has only received half of the Round 4 funding, and there are more requirements the city needs to complete in order to obtain the second half.
    • Round 5 of grant funding
      • Fresno City Council anticipates having action items for Round 5 on March 7.
      • Madera County is going to have action items for Round 5 on Feb. 20.
      • Fresno County anticipates having action items for Round 5 on March 19.
      • The Continuum of Care will get a chance to review these action items on Feb 8.
  • Lived Experience Advisory Board (LEAB), Alex Sanchez
    • There have been two meetings since the last Continuum of Care meeting.
      • Dec. 19:
        • Laura Moreno had a presentation.
        • The board went over its charter and code of conduct
        • Fresno City reached out and asked if the board was still interested in engaging over Round 5 of the HHAP grant. Alex did not state if they agreed.
      • Jan. 2
        • The city sent a presenter to talk about Round 3 of the Encampment Resolution Funding
        • The board held officer elections for chair, vice chair and secretary.
          • Sanchez is the new chair.
          • Sanchez did not name the new vice-chair.
          • Audra Hewlett stayed on as the secretary.
  • City of Fresno update, Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Manager Joe Pasillas, The city is working on a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on a domestic violence and human trafficking shelter.
    • The city owns a property that could be leased out to an organization.
    • The organization would have to contribute their own funding.
    • Some of the required qualifications include having staff with lived experience and a breakdown of how their organization will be taking and assisting victims.
    • They are waiting on leadership to agree to the boundaries of the new encampment for Round 3 of the Encampment Resolution Funding.
  • County of Fresno Update, Cynthia Cardenas
    • The annual reports for HHAP Rounds 1-4 were submitted to the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) on Dec. 15.
    • The county released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for HHAP services on Dec. 1, 2023, and closed on Jan. 9, 2024.
      • Two committees will evaluate the proposals, and the recommended agreement will be shared at a future meeting.
      • It is expected that the resulting agreements will begin July 1, 2024, and be terminated June 30, 2029.
      • Depending on future funding, they may be terminated sooner.
      • The plan for the county’s 2024 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) allocation from HUD will likely be used to support the required match for the Housing and Disability Advocacy Program, whose focus is people experiencing or at risk of homelessness who are likely eligible for disability benefits.
  • Marjaree Mason Center Update, Laura Lopez
    • 724 hotline calls
    • 178 crisis drop-ins
    • 34% were new clients
    • 173 in emergency safe house
    • 125 in rapid rehousing
    • 40% exits were to permanent housing
    • 26% of exits were to temporary housing
    • 28% of exits were to other housing
    • 62 new applicants experiencing sudden homelessness
  • San Joaquin Valley Veterans, Beverley Novella
    • There were 132 veterans served in December
      • 45 were for homeless prevention.
      • 87 were for rapid rehousing.
    • There were 13 veterans housed in December.
      • Seven were rentals by clients with no ongoing subsidies.
      • Four were rentals by clients with Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH).
      • One was staying with family.
      • One was a client with other housing subsidies.
    • 75% of exits were to permanent destinations.
  • Unscheduled announcements
    • Marcella Lopez Schmidt
      • Schmidt reminded everyone that the shelter point-in-time (PIT) count is due Jan. 30.
      • Schmidt will be sending an email to prepare individuals for the PIT count.
    • Andrea Martinez
      • Madera County posted a Request for Application (RFA) for bridge housing on their website.
    • Keith Scott, founder, Grace Bound
      • Grace Bound will be providing an opportunity for free dental services.
      • They are prepared to help four to five people.
      • Services will be the following week of this meeting.
  • The meeting ended at 9:37 p.m.

Actions/discussions/public comment

  • Public comment
    • Dez Martinez, founder, We Are Not Invisible
      • Martinez stated that the night before the meeting, at around 8:15 p.m., an ambassador for RH Community Builder home services kicked someone out on the street in the middle of the rain.
      • Martinez claims there is a history of this happening after managers leave for the evening.
      • The individual was kicked out with only shoes, a pair of pants, and a pancho.
      • The ambassador allegedly kept all of the other belongings of the individual.
        • Moreno stated that the Continuum of Care will look into this matter.

Conversation highlight

  • “Can you guys please stop kicking people out after 5 p.m.? It is dark, it’s cold, it is freezing. Yet you refuse. Last night the employees refused to give the blankets and the clothes and everything this person needed in order to stay warm through the weather,” said Dez Martinez, founder, We Are Not Invisible.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.

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