Santa Clara County is providing $2 million to assist landlords restore dilapidated group houses for folks with psychological well being and habit points — an try to alleviate a longstanding drawback throughout the South Bay.
County officers additionally hope to extend oversight of the “independent living homes,” though it’s unclear whether or not they have the authority or capability to take action.
The county plans to distribute grants from the overall pot of cash to property house owners over the subsequent fiscal yr, which begins in June.
“I’m feeling encouraged today by the steps that we’ve taken to address these concerns, including implementing monitoring mechanisms to ensure homes meet higher standards,” mentioned Susan Ellenberg, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, at a public assembly earlier this month.
Though the county depends on these houses to put its most weak residents, operators will not be required to acquire a license — which means there may be little or no oversight of most properties, though they usually obtain public funding to assist cowl residents’ rents. That’s left many tenants to languish in inhospitable circumstances and, in some circumstances, unable to get the care they want, a Bay Space Information Group report discovered final yr.
Officers consider there are no less than 100 such privately owned and operated houses tucked in residential neighborhoods all through the county. Many extra are unfold throughout the Bay Space and the remainder of California, although nobody is aware of the precise quantity. They usually home previously incarcerated folks in addition to these leaving psychological well being and habit amenities.
The county plans to distribute the brand new grant cash first to landlords of tenants who obtain care by way of the county’s behavioral well being division or different county companies. It’s unclear how a lot cash every landlord might obtain or what number of properties the funds might finally profit.
Officers have additionally shaped a piece group of psychological well being advocates, well being care suppliers, property house owners, native officers and others to find out how one can finest distribute the grants.
At this month’s assembly, advocates with the group known as for a registry of all native impartial residing houses to extend oversight, regardless of considerations by county employees that they might lack the authorized authority, workforce and experience to watch the properties. Supervisors directed employees to report again on choices to develop oversight and doubtlessly mix monitoring efforts with San Jose, the place lots of the houses are positioned.
Work group member and advocate Lorraine Zeller known as on county officers on the assembly to proceed working to deal with the intense points at many houses, together with a “lack of heat and hot water” and “harassment and retaliation” by operators.
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