Salinas increasing shelter space, services for homeless during pandemic

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The City of Salinas is working to help the city's homeless population during the coronavirus pandemic, and some of the ways it is doing that is by working to increase shelter space and improving hygiene and sanitation services.

City officials said homeless people are more at risk of becoming seriously ill from coronavirus because of crowded living situations, challenges related to sanitation and underlying health conditions. Salinas has the largest homeless population in Monterey County.

The city said it is working with the county and homeless service providers to increase the shelter space and resources to improve hygiene, health education, food access, social distancing and to isolate those who may have coronavirus.

The resources will be mainly in the areas around Chinatown and downtown because they have the largest homeless populations.

"It is absolutely critical to provide additional support to our residents experiencing homeless during this pandemic," said Mayor Joe Gunter. "Each measure taken not only cares for the city's most vulnerable populations, but the health of the community as a whole by flattening the curve of infection and reducing the stress placed on our local health care systems."

The city partnered with Community Homeless Solutions to open the Chinatown Navigation Center Tuesday. The center is a 24-hour shelter that offers case management and housing navigation services. It can house up to 15 people.

The HomeFul Foundation provided eight trailers to use for the homeless population during and after the pandemic with help from the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. Five will be used at the center at 115-125 E. Lake Street, and the other three trailers will be at the warming shelter at 111 W. Alisal Street. The trailers can provide shelter for up to 30 people and could also be used to quarantine those exposed to coronavirus or help vulnerable people Shelter in Place. They are expected to be delivered within the next two weeks.

The city also said it has installed 17 pairs of portable restrooms and hand washing units and four individual hand washing stations. They were put in in the Chinatown area and nearby neighborhoods, downtown, the area around Carr Lake and East Laurel and near the intersection of the railroad tracks and South Sanborn Road. Volunteers and homeless leaders will monitor the stations and provide street outreach to homeless camps about how to stay safe during the pandemic.

The city is also increasing funding for the Food Bank for Monterey County. The food bank has seen the number of people it serves quadruple as a result of the pandemic. In an effort to help, the city said it found an extra $23,580 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant funds. In total, the city said it will provide $126,004 in funds to the food bank this fiscal year.

For more information about what the city is doing, contact Megan Hunter at 831-758-7387 or meganh@ci.salinas.ca.us.