Three new housing units are available for chronically homeless
Gilroy residents who suffer from mental illness, addiction or other
ailments that make it hard to secure employment or housing.
Gilroy – Three new housing units are available for chronically homeless Gilroy residents who suffer from mental illness, addiction or other ailments that make it hard to secure employment or housing.
The apartments, on Princevalle Avenue, will be given away via lottery later this month. The units will be funded by a $509,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and are part of countywide effort to get chronically homeless people off the street before requiring them to get help for their addictions and health problems.
“It’s fantastic,” said Bob Dolci, a director with EHC LifeBuilders, a partner in the program. “It gets chronically homeless people into housing and gets them the support they need. For this population, you’ve got to have support.”
Chronically homeless people are those who have been on the street for at least a year, or have had at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years. To be eligible for this program, people must be single and have some source of income. Applicants who are not selected will be placed on a waiting list for future drawings.
Homeless advocates and social services workers say that the chronically homeless have historically been the toughest to serve because they are overwhelmed by their problems and can’t get past what are often onerous obstacles to get housing. Jeff Fishback, of St. Joseph’s Family Center, is helping to identify candidates for the new units. He said this housing-and-care model is much easier for people to access.
“This program is for people who have fallen under the radar,” Fishback said. “When you have someone willing to do something about their homelessness, they often times get caught up in a web trying to get the help they need. This is a way to streamline those support services.”
The program is a partnership of EHC, the Housing Authority of Santa Clara County, Catholic Charities and Gardner Family Health Network. Winning applicants must meet all eligibility requirements.
Qualifying:
There are three units available in Connell Apartments for chronically homeless people. To be eligible, a person must be:
• single
• homeless for at least one year or have experienced homelessness four times in the past three years
• diagnosed with or suffer from a disability, including mental illness or substance abuse
• receiving income such as general assistance or social security insurance
Qualified applicants should call, toll free, 1-877-505-5525, by 4pm, Friday, Aug. 26, to register for the units.
Details: Jeff Fishback at 842-6662.
