Photo Courtesy City of Port Hueneme
Port Hueneme– The City Council’s study of the concern among the stateless successful the country connected November 7 continues with Homeless Liasion Officer Henry Montelongo saying 12 residents of the stateless assemblage were contacted astir the City’s Backpack Medicine Program, and 11 were receptive to receiving services.
He pointed to issues astatine country blistery spots and the Goodwill determination astatine Channel Islands Blvd. and Victoria Avenue, wherever measures person been taken to support employees astatine the location.
“What I bash is pb doctors, societal workers, and County Personnel to those locations,” helium said. “I made interaction with the stateless archetypal and fto them cognize they are not successful trouble; I’m conscionable trying to get you guys help. I person County here.”
He said erstwhile they are unfastened to talking with the radical offering backpack medicine, Montelongo connects them to the County employees and steps away.
“At slightest this way, they consciousness a small much unfastened and talk to the County employees and not person to interest astir them disclosing thing they mightiness consciousness volition get them successful occupation with the Police Officers,” helium said. “I’m wrong the country arsenic a information enactment for the County unit due to the fact that you ne'er know.”
He said the County employees felt their efforts benefited the stateless community.
“They issued respective vaccines and started 1 idiosyncratic connected a Hepatitis C treatment,” helium said. “They were precise blessed with that. Even though nary 1 wanted to shelter, they were astatine slightest blessed that individuals were capable to commencement with immoderate treatments for immoderate of the ailments they had.”
Montelongo said his Housing Authority concern is his biggest situation arsenic the City’s Homeless Liasion Officer since helium is learning a caller position.
“Gabby Basua, Jessica Cerda, and Anahi Carter person been instrumental successful helping maine and teaching maine what I request to bash to marque this programme successful,” helium said. “They said if I privation a occupation implicit there, determination is simply a spot for maine arsenic a Housing Specialist.”
He said with Gabby Basua’s help, they created 3 stateless Section 8 Vouchers.
“The Section 8 Voucher has to enactment wrong the City of Port Hueneme,” helium said. “The contented and situation we tally into is the City is beauteous overmuch built out, and we are constricted to units that are disposable to location these individuals.”
He besides said outgo standards beryllium connected the lodging unit’s size.
“If you person 1 individual, you beauteous overmuch are successful a one-bedroom oregon a studio,” helium said. “It’s constricted successful the magnitude the Section 8 Voucher volition wage for compared to 3 persons; they’ll beryllium capable to get a house, and the outgo the voucher volition screen volition spell up a small spot more.”
Montelongo said his occupation is screening the tenants arsenic the Homeless Liasion Officer and verifying they are really homeless.
“You’d beryllium amazed however galore individuals volition assertion they are stateless erstwhile they are not and trying to supersede the full process and get their sanction to the beforehand of the line,” helium said.
After placement, helium said the adjacent measurement is lawsuit idiosyncratic follow-up.
“What I’ve learned is lawsuit idiosyncratic follow-up is instrumental successful making definite the individuals that are being placed successful lodging are successful,” helium said. “We could commencement putting everyone successful housing, but if there’s nary 1 to follow-up with them, making definite they are doing what they’re expected to beryllium doing and helping them done the full process, they are going to neglect done the full enactment process and past backmost retired onto the streets. We privation to marque definite they’re palmy and enactment housed.”
He said income is besides a Section 8 situation arsenic the voucher does not screen everything.
“You are inactive liable for a information of the rent, truthful determination has to beryllium immoderate benignant of income coming successful to wage for that,” helium said. “There is simply a look that I’m inactive learning, and the girls astatine lodging are inactive trying to thatch maine however it works. Depending connected however overmuch you marque and however overmuch the outgo standards let you is however overmuch you wage for your rent.”
He noted that Section 8 Vouchers person an expiration date, and the infinitesimal they’re issued, they person 120 days to find a lodging portion and beryllium placed, oregon the voucher volition expire.
“Another situation is the downpayment and credit,” helium said. “One lawsuit that I’m moving connected close now, the minimum downpayment for the portion is $4,400, and a batch of these individuals don’t person that money. Also, the landlords and spot managers are requesting their recognition scores. A batch of these individuals, due to the fact that of their situation, don’t person the champion credit. The Housing Authority is helping maine navigate done these processes.”
Montelongo said helium is presently helping idiosyncratic referred to him, and the idiosyncratic has a “little mother” with an Autistic lad that has been sleeping successful their car and wants services.
“I gave the serviceman immoderate absorption connected however to get immoderate basal information, and I’ll beryllium pursuing up connected it,” helium said. “We began moving with her and began seeking immoderate imperishable lodging options. The obstacle we’re moving into is we couldn’t find immoderate disposable units for her.”
He partnered with the United Way done its Landlord Engagement Program, which incentivizes landlords to participate, and they enactment with the idiosyncratic to find lodging opportunities.
“The United Way recovered maine a unit, and this was each large enactment with the Housing Authority successful uncovering this unit,” helium said. “I went retired past week and checked the portion with the tenant. The United Way took the photographs and sent them backmost to the Housing Authority. They approved the unit. We are waiting for the petition for tenancy exertion process to complete. From there, we’ll spell to an inspection and hopefully get the idiosyncratic moved into the unit.”
He noted that the process takes 4-5 months.
During Council comments, Mayor Rich Rollins said the process requires a batch of patience.
“The City did participate into the County’s Continuum of Care Program; I’ve attended respective meetings via Zoom, and I americium wondering if you are besides making yourself disposable to be these meetings,” Councilwoman Laura Hernandez said.
“I americium attending those meetings, and determination is connected November 9,” Montelongo said.
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