Manteca’s city government continues to step up its efforts to address homeless needs on three different fronts — HOPE Family Shelters, the emergency homeless shelter, and The Way Veterans Center.
The latest is expected to happen tonight when the City Council is being asked to authorize assigning its allocation of $111,278 in federal Housing & Urban Development HOME Investment Partnerships Village to The Way Veterans Center to house homeless veterans.
The Way Veteran Village is the vision of The Way Church for its parking lot on the northeast corner of North Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Central Manteca to help homeless veterans and those veterans at the risk of being homeless.
It involves 12 to 15 tiny modular homes grouped together on under-utilized property belonging to The Way Church.
The city two months ago secured $281,000 in Behavioral Health Bridge Housing funds for the church project from San Joaquin County after municipal staff learned a nearby city it was originally awarded to was not in a position to proceed.
Those funds will cover the cost of two single bed units and one double bed units complete with bathroom and living area with a kitchenette.
Last year, the city agreed to work with the church to support their effort in applying for a $3.5 million Homekey+ grant to fund a collaboration with The WellNest Group that produces the modular housing.
Manteca is the lead applicant to the California Department of Housing and Community Development grant program.
All three homeless endeavors the city is involved in have a faith-based group that are a part of the effort.
Manteca provided redevelopment agency funds to purchase and remodel the family homeless shelter in the 500 block of West Yosemite Avenue.
HOPE Family Shelters was established by the Manteca Ministerial Association. It houses 270 people a year — 60 percent of them children — while helping parents develop the skills needed to obtain and retain housing on their own.
The city’s initial — and current — contractor for providing homeless services at the emergency shelter at 555 Industrial Park Drive is faith based. The current operator is His Way.
The council tonight is also awarding pass-through federal Community Development grants totaling $420,013 that must be spent on improving the lives of a community’s low-income population.
Of that, $357,011 is going to public facilities and improvements.
Staff recommendation is for $202,011 to go to the city’s homeless navigation center and $155,000 to the Manteca Boys & Girls Club.
The balance, or up to 15 percent, of $62,002 is going to:
*HOPE Ministries, $10,501.
*PREVAIL (formerly the San Joaquin County Women’s Center & Child Services), $10,5001.
*Second Harvest of the Greater Valley, $10,000.
*Emergency Food Bank of Stockton, $3,000.
*San Joaquin Fair Housing, $7,500.
*San Joaquin County Human Services Agency, $8,500.
*Give Every Child a Chance, $13,000.
The City Council meets at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
