Salinas neighbors will be protesting eastside Project Homekey sites
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- Neighbors who live in one Salinas neighborhood met at Tuesday's City Council meeting, protesting the Sanborn Inn and Salinas Inn being turned into Project Homekey sites.
According to a flyer with the time and details of Tuesday’s protest, it states that neighbors are concerned for their children and worried about the properties being devalued.
People who live in the Fairview neighborhood took their concerns to the city council.
Neighbors told KION they’re worried about their kids and their safety. That crime could increase where they live. Neighbors also said a lot of elderly people live in the neighborhood.
One neighbor who did not want to be identified is worried that Project Homekey will attract more homeless people.
“My sister, who is my neighbor, is up at two or three in the morning to take my mother to dialysis. She's concerned for her safety and my mother's safety, who lives alone,” she told KION. “They say it benefits our community, but when asked in which way, we've been given the run-around and we haven't been given a straight answer.”
Megan Hunter, the Director of Community Development with the city, said the project is not a transitional housing project.
Hunters adds that case managers will be on-site, and there will be 24 hours security.
“It's an affordable housing project for people who are currently unhoused,” said Hunter. “They will be residents in the neighborhood, and the great thing about this project is that they will provide case management and wrap-around services for those residents to be successful in their housing.”
Hunter said people who live in those units would be vetted, and they cannot be registered sex offenders or convicted of selling meth.
Hunter said moving the project is not possible because the city has already signed an agreement, and the state is committing resources to the project.
Hunter said they want to work with the neighbors who live in that community.
The City of Salinas also set up a Project Homekey housing at the Good Nite Inn on Work Street. Hunter said they haven't seen any negative impacts from The Project Homekey housing.
Hunter said there is an effort to spread much-needed housing and other services across the city because affordable housing needs to be in the community. Hunter adds that the city is committed to ensuring it doesn’t concentrate on poverty and low incoming housing in any one area.
