Salinas moving forward with permanent shelter
Since losing her Section 8 housing last year, Arlan Strong has been sleeping in her car. Strong comes to Salinas’ Chinatown often for the services .
“We have the showers, bathrooms, food, social services — pretty much everything that’s needed,” Strong said.
The resources are drawing more people to the city.
Katie Hesser has been seeing the influx over the past five years.
“I’m going to say it’s quadrupled, if not more,” Hesser said.
It’s a problem Salinas has been grappling with for years. The 2017 census found more than 1,300 people are homeless in the city — a 155 percent increase since 2013.
City officials said the permanent shelter at 1220 Natividad Road is going to be a good place for the homeless to get a jump-start.
This is a joint effort between Monterey County and the city of Salinas.
Details are still in the works, but the hope is to have the shelter and homeless services in one place to help those in need make the move into permanent housing.
“We have the social services programs there. We have the mental health. We have the hospital,” Mayor Joe Gunter said.
And there might be more.
“If we are able to combine and do additional housing units, that would be a great option, at this point,” said Anastacia Wyatt, housing and community development manager.
The city is also working to make more affordable housing options available to the homeless.
“This will fall in conjunction with what we are doing in Chinatown, the 90 units we are building down there. Some of those will be filled by people coming out of this program as we move forward,” Gunter said.
The plans give Hesser something to look forward to.
“My hope for myself is to be able to get back on my feet again, get my business back, God willing, my back, my back heal,” Hesser said.
City officials said the shelter alone will cost somewhere between $5 million and $10 million; tax credits and grants will help fund the project.
They are hoping the shelter will be up and running in two to three years.
