City Council hears about county’s homeless care program, approves new Housing Successor Funds
By Nick Goodrich
The Antioch City Council received a report from the Contra Costa County Health, Housing, and Homeless Services Division, and approved over $17,000 in funding for a new home ownership program for the city.
Presentation: Transforming the Homeless System of Care
The Homeless System of Care presentation, given by Jaime Jennet, outlined Contra Costa County’s effort to reform its homeless care system, with the biggest change coming in the form of a new focus on the “most vulnerable” among the homeless.
The County’s new system will shift its focus to vulnerability from its previous “first come first serve” system, in which many homeless residents that suffered more than others were not able to find help because of full shelters and a lack of resources.
A new warming center will also be introduced, which will provide shelter for a greater number of Antioch’s homeless during emergency settings, such as high wind and extreme cold.
The County announced that standard policies and protocols will also be introduced to tie the various homeless service providers in the East Bay to a uniform, streamlined system that can reach more homeless residents and use resources more efficiently.
With Antioch’s homeless population stable over the past several years, the changes to the county’s system are expected provide the city with an opportunity to reduce that number and get more Antioch residents off the streets.
Housing Successor Funding Program
The council also approved $17,250 in funding from the city’s Housing Successor Agency funds, as Antioch implements its plan to create a new Home Ownership program, since the state eliminated the all redevelopment agencies in California.
The new program aims to subsidize down payments for low-income potential homeowners, in the amounts of $25,000 to 50,000.
The program’s goal is to minimize risk to the city while still allowing low-income homeowners to live here in Antioch.
“We want residents to buy homes here in Antioch, set down roots here in Antioch, participate in government and schools, and to offer a productive life for every resident,” reported city staff.
The program’s cost will approach $50,000 over each of the next three years, and would include financial responsibility classes for participants, help them become credit-worthy, and generally preparing them for home ownership.
The program comes with little risk to the city and will not draw from the city’s General Fund, and as such, the city’s and potential low-income homeowners in Antioch will benefit from the new system.
Permanent free housing now? Seems like the criminals, child molesters, and parolees get all the best free stuff while the working man gets absolutely NOTHING.
Let me provide the crux of the article:
“…with the biggest change coming in the form of a new focus on the “most vulnerable” among the homeless.”
And exactly where does the $50K down payment per house for these “poor folks” come from? Is it from the working man previously mentioned?
or drive right past Antioch, whichever on Hwy 4..
Our generous city council will be forking over its remaining redevelopment funds to a so-called “non-profit,” “Bay Area Affordable Homeownership Alliance”in San Francisco, to “market its services.” San Francisco needs our money to promote the “help it’s offering”according to the East Bay Times. They need our money for their ads.
I find this whole thing ridiculous. Get a job and buy your house like the rest of us. Just more socialism and hand outs.
So unfair. I really question the leaders who run and approve these programs. It reads like $50,000 is no big deal. I lived and saved with another family renting a single story house for two years to save $15,000 for my first house down payment. What makes these people so special? The idea of subsidies acting like a paycheck instead of getting off your feet is insulting to the hard working wage earners. I do not want to live here anymore. Takers always take and don’t think twice about who are the givers.