Governor Gavin Newsom is providing the City of San Luis Obispo with millions of dollars in state home key funds-- money intended to help those who are experiencing homelessness in the county.
More than 15 million dollars provided by the State of California will help 3 local organizations turn a Motel 6 in Paso Robles into both temporary and permanent homes.
People’s Self-Help Housing, Housing Authority SLO, and El Camino Homeless Organization, also known as ECHO, are coming together to provide housing for the homeless population in Paso Robles..
"In Paso Robles, there are about 230 people experiencing homelessness so we know there's a huge need," CEO of ECHO, Wendy Lewis said.
With no emergency shelter available in Paso Robles the grant money will provide about 122 units.
"We will come up with a plan that sort of has some separation there in the permanent supportive housing units. We will provide some kitchen space so that folks can have some cooking facilities," CEO of People Self Help Housing, Ken Trigueiro said. "So we will actually have two different operations going on there but it's going to be the exact same building and footprint."
The organizations say this will provide a chance for people to transition into a more permanent home living opportunity.
"The really exciting thing about this that we can work with echo and when the persons are ready they can transition from the emergency side of the operation into a permanent housing unit," CEO of Housing Authority SLO, Scott Smith said.
According to People’s Self-Help Housing CEO, people will be able to move into these units as early as the end of this year.
"Between the three groups, we have over 100 years of managing in non-profits so we see this just a perfect opportunity and a gift that's really coming through our channels to the city of Paso Robles," Lewis said.
Criteria for exactly who can be housed in these units is something that the organizations tell me they are still discussing.
They add they want to encourage people to reach out specifically to ECHO who will be handling outreach efforts.
