Moon Gate Plaza taking in new residents in Salinas
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Homeless in Salinas are claiming a new housing project meant for residents with extremely low income is leaving some of them on the streets, even as some zero-income people could qualify and be housed there.
This all surrounds the new Moon Gate Plaza development in Salinas' Chinatown district off East Market Street. It is 90-unit complex, four stories high and it is already taking in new residents.
Moon Gate Plaza, in the works for about a year and a half now, is already housing two new residents, and they are getting ready to move more people in in the next few weeks. MidPen Housing Corporation says "Moon Gate Plaza will house numerous homeless folks."
"We're working through the final finishing touches of cleaning the units, making any final repairs, providing furniture," said Betsy Wilson, the special projects director for MidPen Housing Corporation.
The complex comes complete with community rooms, an art gallery and a parking garage. They are still working on the ground floor, which will house medical services and other non-profit groups.
A portion of Moon Gate Plaza was funded by a $2.5 million grant from the Central California Alliance for Health. More than half the units are rent subsidized, which means in some cases, people with zero income will not have to pay any rent.
Some homeless, however, are saying they still do not qualify.
"They used us saying this was supposed to be for the homeless, and I've been out here for 31 years already, and this place is not for us," said Shorty, a homeless woman.
"Some didn't even qualify because they were like $400, $500 short from meeting their income line just to qualify for these apartments," said Diana Blaylock, another homeless woman.
To qualify for rent subsidized units, you have to meet certain federal requirements, including in immigration status. Non-subsidized units do have a minimum income requirement.
"If for some reason, a person might not be eligible to receive a federal support through that rent subsidy, they might need to apply for a different unit and that would require that they have some income," Wilson.
For the homeless in Chinatown, it is a difficult spot to be in.
"So here we are at it again. All these people get their hopes up, their spirits up, and they don't qualify," said Blaylock.
Moon Gate Plaza expects to have everyone who qualifies moved in by early March. They will have a grand opening celebration in the summer.
