Manteca’s effort to get as many as 50 homeless off the streets and into a shelter this winter is moving forward.
Councilman Dave Breitenbucher reported at last week’s City Council meeting that the modular portable kitchen unit had arrived at the city’s emergency homeless center at 555 Industrial Park Drive.
Also being delivered is a bathroom/showers modular and two modulars that will accommodate up to 50 people.
The City Council at the same meeting increased the contract to install electrical services at the site by $34,500.
The amended contract total of $107,575 covers work not originally envisioned when Bockmon and Woody Electric was first retained.
The new contact allows for work to be completed by March 31, 2024 due to delays in the supply chain for key electrical components.
Besides daytime services ranging from showers, bathrooms, meals, assistance with health care, mental health counselling, job assistance and such, His Way has been overseeing the homeless that prefer to pitch their tents in the secure — and fenced in — Industrial Park Drive site as opposed to being on the streets.
Earlier this month the council approved spending:
*$200,818 from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31 of this year to pay His Way Recovery House to run the homeless emergency center.
*$170,381 to pay Shield Protection Group to provide 24/7 security for the homeless center from Sept. 15 through Dec. 31 of this year.
The city is using $500,000 in federal Community Block Grant funds— pass through money designated to serving the needs of the poor in communities — and $40,352 in municipal tax dollars to purchase the four portable modular units and perform associated site work.
In the past, the federal money was used for things such as putting in place missing sidewalks and making park improvements in less wealthy Manteca neighborhoods.
The city, when they use local tax dollars for endeavors at the homeless center, seeks state and federal grant to backfill the money to minimize the financial impact on the general fund that pays for day-to-day municipal services such as police, fire, street upkeep and general government.
The Manteca Homeless Emergency Center is the first phase of a larger project.
The second phase 2 transfers services to the soon-to-be constructed Low Barrier Navigation Center at 682 S. Main Street.
The Low Barrier Navigation Center is in the preliminary design stage. Once the that $15 million project being funded with a state grant is finished, the modular units will be moved to the 682 S. Main Street site and will then be used as transitional housing.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
