LAKEPORT >> Ever since the Homeless Summit meeting convened at the Soper Reese Theater in the fall of 2023, the idea has been floated: Could the unhoused be enticed to get off the streets and get the care they need to transition to permanent housing … a light at the end of the tunnel may now be peeking through the conundrum.
Following the conclusion of an interview on KPFZ 88.1 FM community radio on Wednesday, District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier made time to respond to a perennial concern if a bridge out of homelessness is attainable? Sabatier indicated there is a possibility. “It is the Encampment Resolution Fund, which the state of California provided to the Continuum of Care,” Sabatier said. Lake County Continuum of Care are community members from various agencies contributing their time and efforts to attain the goal of ending homelessness within Lake County. This includes coordinating housing navigation to share knowledge and resources available in the community.
the resolution fund is provided by the Housing & Community Development Department of California. Lake County recently received $1.5 million to be used for, ‘safe parking.’ “It is when (those relying upon vehicles as shelter) they agree to park in a specific area we are going to dedicate as a safe park, for overnight parking so, RVs can go there,” he said. “We’ll have trash pickup, we’ll have restrooms … passenger vehicles will be the same thing – we’ve even talked about purchasing a bus that has been retrofitted with beds so that those who do not have vehicles are still able to utilize the safe parking.”
But the concept are essentially conversations currently since the county is not 100% sure what the idea will look like when fully conceived. “We’re waiting for proposals from people looking into the thing,” Sabatier clarified. “But we already have the $1.5 million, which we have to spend, to help with the process of getting people off the streets and eventually into homes. We are closing our requests for proposals on, I believe on August 18 so soon after that, probably September, when we probably have decided who will receive the money and what will happen with that money and then that will be made public.”
But the question remains, who can stay in safe parking? “We haven’t quite figured that out yet,” Sabatier conceded. “It’ll be some sort of property management thing- but we don’t want it to be a first come/first serve, because we really want to get people to build a relationship.”
He elaborated that they hope residents of a safe park will build relationships and build a stable environment among their neighbors and the greater community. “We want to try to set up rules- if we have multiple safe parking (locations), let’s see if we can’t get all the same rules, not different from one area to another.”
Yet, it has not been disclosed how many locations may be established. “In Lakeport, probably at least one location…. in the North Lakeport area,” he said. “We’re looking at Xabatin Haven, which is already a homeless shelter; they have parking- and, can we use that?”
That could be an option but the county is looking in the Clearlake area, Lower Lake and all over the communities around the permitter of the lake. The county would especially like to obtain at least two different safe sites for parking around the lake so, it is accessible to a variety of people, depending where they are currently. Yet the total number of people accommodated is still uncertain.
“We’ll find out from the proposals we receive,” Sabatier said. But how that process will be managed is still being thought through. Sabatier suggested the Plus Management Information Systems. “We have people with that system who have been identified as homeless and we’ll utilize that system because we want them to be in that system so, we can coordinate their care.”
Typically, those already with a history with Plus Management, there is contact information available since they go to the county’s peer support centers. “Their cell phones can change from time to time if they acquire a new phone,” yet the patrons of Plus Managment stay in frequent contact. “That’s not the easiest way but we have been able to coordinate with the county’s homeless population. I don’t see us not being able to coordinate in the same way (as previously).”
The Record-bee inquired if the county intends to grow the initial fund? “No, we’re not allowed to use that fund to leverage more money- we tried,” he explained. “We just have the $1.5 million to spend.”
But it is a start on a journey that until now, evaded government officials.
