People in East Salinas upset local motels will be converted under Project Homekey
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- On Monday around 100 people filled the pews at Life of Church in Salinas for a meeting surrounding changes in the community.
The meeting was organized by people concerned about the conversion of the Salinas Inn and the Sanborn Inn into Project Homekey housing.
“Homekey focuses on motel acquisition and conversion into permanent supportive housing,” said Tod Lip, the president and CEO of Step Up
The two motels were selected to help homeless people who need permanent housing.
Tensions rose when people were allowed to ask questions after the presentation.
"Did you come to get our feedback," said one neighbor. "Because it sounds like the decision has already been made," he continued as people applauded him.
Residents in East Salinas are concerned about concentrating a large number of people who were unhoused in one area.
“I don't think it's a good idea,” one neighbor told KION. “Especially the area that I'm talking about and where I live. Most of us are owners of a home.”
They feel like the city wants to "dump" problems into the Eastside rather than help to revitalize the area. Their biggest fear is that East Salinas will have a Chinatown situation on its hands.
People feel like their homes, which they say they have been working to improve, will become targets for burglaries.
Lipka said that’s not the case.
“Once you provide housing plus intensive services on site, the vast majority of people do very very well,” said Lipka.
Lipka adds that the Sanborn Inn and Salinas Inn are not homeless shelters. It’s permanent housing.
Megan Hunter, with the City of Salinas, led the meeting and introduced representatives with Step Up who will be in charge of managing the properties.
According to Step Up, the people selected to live at the studio apartments will be vetted and cannot be registered sex offenders or have been convicted of selling meth from their property.
Lipka told KION the project focuses on people who have been chronically homeless, meaning people have been on the streets a longtime. Step Up will be working with the city and other partner organizations to see who will be moving in.
Step Up said supportive services, like case managers, and property managers will be on site. Case managers will have their offices at the locations, while the property managers will live on site.
According to Hunter, Census data shows there is an estimated 1200 homeless people in the City of Salinas. She believes the number is closer to 2000.
