Could Turlock create transitional housing? City manager gives homeless plans update
While Modesto and Merced recently secured millions in state funding to create housing for people experiencing homeless, Turlock is in negotiations for several properties where providing transitional housing may be possible, City Manager Reagan Wilson said.
Wilson could not disclose the sites in an interview this week but said Turlock has begun to inventory both city-owned vacant land and properties for sale.
The city also is looking into California’s Project Homekey. The state initiative gives local governments grants to buy and convert properties such as hotels and vacant buildings into permanent or temporary housing for people experiencing — or at risk of — homelessness.
Wilson, who began leading the city in February, said he is not aware of Turlock applying for Project Homekey funding earlier this year.
Turlock has been short on staff to work on homelessness, Wilson added, so he will recommend the city hire a program coordinator to manage the initiatives an ad hoc committee proposed on Feb. 22. At the April 26 City Council meeting, Wilson plans to present the hiring recommendation along with other actions to implement the committee’s ideas.
Resident frustrated by talk
But after living in her car for more than eight years, Cathy Heap said it seems like the city and social service agencies talk more than taking action to provide housing.
“What really gets me so mad is that they keep on telling us they want to do something for us, but nobody does nothing,” Heap said.
The 68-year-old Turlock resident lives with her daughter Cathy Young, 34, Young’s fiance, Gregory Snelson, and their three chihuahua mix dogs. The couple usually sleep on the ground outside Heap’s car, which Heap said police often force her to move.
If Turlock offers transitional housing apartments, Snelson said he probably would take the opportunity. It may allow them to save up money for another car, he added.
“Transitional housing would be like a pit stop and get us the chance to refresh ourselves and get ready to go again,” Snelson said. “You know, make sure we’ve got everything to be able to tackle bigger goals.”
Turlock not planning safe camping site
Young, like other Turlock residents experiencing homelessness, also told The Bee she would like to see the city designate a safe camping or parking ground.
Modesto ran its Outdoor Emergency Shelter from February to December 2019 and is planning a parking program for people who sleep in their cars and motor homes. She questioned why Turlock has not explored similar programs on its vacant land.
At this time, Wilson said Turlock is not pursuing a safe camping or parking area.
“We think transitional housing is the better way to go,” Wilson said. “We frankly don’t have the resources to do it all.”
At the April 26 meeting, Wilson said the council may approve eight potential service agreements designed to reduce and alleviate homelessness. One of the contracts aims to hire two full-time behavioral health workers from First Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center, as the ad hoc committee recommended.
The mental health experts would focus on working with people experiencing homelessness in west Turlock, Wilson said.
Services needed citywide
But Helping Hands Ministry Founder Liz Padilla said the city should provide more homeless mental health services across the city. After encampment sweeps during the city’s 120-day homeless emergency from March to July 2021, Padilla said people spread out to places such as Broadway and Crane parks.
“These people just got lost and left out there,” Padilla said. “All it did was make them separate. So if they’re going to do this, they need to follow through with it and make sure that they’re going to go over and have somebody to check (on) them.”
Turlock on Saturday hits the nine-month mark of its unsheltered homeless crisis declared after the 120-day homeless encampment emergency ended. The current crisis lacks an end date and will continue until the council decides to end it.
