header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather
Calendar


| Thursday, Oct 22, 2020
Project Roomkey
A check in tent is set up at the entrance of the Super 8 Hotel in Canyon Country on Saturday, April 11, 2020. Dan Watson/The Signal

 

With L.A. County’s Project Roomkey coming close to an end, Bridge to Home officials announced Thursday a new initiative to house more than two dozen local homeless individuals, but it will require help from the community.

Project 30 pledges to house 30 homeless people by Jan. 5 and is expected to offer case management and resource support.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity to house people that are in desperate need. With help from every corner of the community, our goal is to provide housing before Project Room Key ends,” said Bridge to Home Executive Director Michael Foley in a statement.

The nonprofit organization, which has housed homeless individuals through the COVID-19 pandemic at the Newhall Community Center and spearheaded the local Project Roomkey location at a Super 8 in Canyon Country, is funding Project 30 through a contract with the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.

The contract is estimated at $760,000, according to Jeff Proctor, associate director of performance management with LAHSA.

With the funds, Bridge to Home will pay monthly rent, utilities and other expenses directly to landlords and property owners for up to two years, according to Foley.

“The housing market remains very tight in the Santa Clarita Valley. However, with this special program, we can pay full rent for this unique population – the vast majority of who became homeless here in Santa Clarita and are already in our counseling system,” he added. “Whether a studio, one-bedroom apartment, a room or shared housing, we have the resources to meet this need while developing even longer-term solutions to establishing permanent income.”

The announcement as the Super 8 is expected to shut down operations on Jan. 5. The motel has housed part of the local homeless population since April. Through funding from the state, L.A. County has a list of motels it will buy to continue housing homeless from Project Roomkey locations but the Canyon Country site was not among those chosen, according to Michelle Vega, spokeswoman for county Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose 5th District includes the Santa Clarita Valley.

With the SCV not on the list, the hope was to guide the homeless to local service providers such as Bridge to Home to connect to housing options, to which they will now be able to via Project 30, officials said.

How to help
That’s where the community comes in, said Foley. The nonprofit is seeking to learn from residents and businesses with information regarding available housing.

Anyone with access to housing resources is encouraged to contact Foley at 661-254-4663 or via email at mike.foley@btohome.org.

The nonprofit is also looking for multiple volunteers to help with housing searches, moving and long-term coaching, mentorship and friendship support.

“If there is one thing we have learned about the journey to end homelessness, it is – the solution cannot be outsourced,” said Foley. “When neighbors and community members are trained and work side-by-side with professionals, coaching and befriending our neighbors experiencing homelessness, only then, can we have a tremendous impact.”

Those interested in volunteering can contact volunteer coordinator Randi Wyatt-Billings at (661) 313-9002 or email randi@btohome.org.

Bridge to Home is also campaigning to raise $300,000 before the end of the year to help cover the organizations’ additional services and programs amid the pandemic. To donate, volunteer or learn about their virtual Soup for the Soul event gala, visit btohome.org.

Comment On This Story

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


Related Content
Latest Stories on SCVNews.com
1875, 1:35PM - Outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez hanged in San Jose [story]
Tiburcio Vasquez
College of the Canyons notched its first victory at the newly named Mike Gillespie Field on Saturday, winning its second straight conference series, this time over visiting Bakersfield College, by a 6-4 final score. 
Cougars Notch First Win at Mike Gillespie Field
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The Master's University hit 20 3-pointers, one shy of the program record in a game, to defeat the St. Thomas Bobcats 122-91 in the second round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship tournament.
Mustangs Advance to NAIA Sweet 16
The Master's University baseball team lost a pair of 1-run games Saturday against the Menlo Oaks in Atherton, Calif.
Mustangs Drop Three Games to Menlo
The Los Angeles County Development Authority is excited to announce that its executive director, Emilio Salas, has been appointed to a two-year term to serve as a member of the national Strategic Planning Advisory Committee for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
LACDA’s Emilio Salas Appointed to National Planning Advisory Committee
The 28th Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival is back with your favorite musical performers and an exciting lineup of new acts.
Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival Live Music Performers Announced
REDLANDS — College of the Canyons track and field recorded a dozen top-10 finishes and established 30 new personal records while competing at the University of Redlands Invitational on March 15. 
Cougars Earn Top-10 Finishes at Redlands Invitational
There is so much to learn from different customs and cultures and you don’t need a plane ticket to experience it all.
City’s 2024 ‘Celebrate’ Lineup Released
Big Chicken, the star-powered fast casual chicken concept, which has a location in Santa Clarita, is fueling the mania for the Big Tournament with a nationwide Big Bracket Challenge.
Compete for Chance to Open Shaquille O’Neal Chicken Restaurant
California State University, Northridge’s Spring 2024 Cinematheque series will pay tribute to Hollywood casting director and producer Deborah Aquila, executive vice president and head of casting at Paramount Television Studios and CBS Studios, to mark the end of Women’s History Month on Wednesday, March 27.
Legendary Casting Director Deborah Aquila to Speak at CSUN
On Friday, March 22, the Uniquely Abled Academy (UAA) at College of the Canyons will host a graduation ceremony for nine students who have completed the UAA’s pilot robotics training program.
March 22: COC’s Uniquely Abled Academy Robotics Graduation
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is excited to announce spring has sprung at its local parks, including those in the Santa Clarita Valley.
L.A. County Parks Releases Spring Jubilee Dates
The city of Santa Clarita’s Film Office released the list of six productions currently filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, March 18 - Sunday, March 24.
‘Bosch Legacy,’ ‘CSI Vegas’ Among Six Productions Filming in SCV
Unlike our children who enjoy a week-long spring break, we adults no longer have that luxury.
Ken Striplin | Register Now for Spring Break Camp 2024
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the following Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested.
Ocean Water Advisory Continues for L.A. County Beaches
The California Department of Motor Vehicles now offers a faster way for businesses to check that their employees have clean driving records using the new online Employee Pull Notice (EPN) Service.
DMV Launches Enhanced Digital Employer Pull Notice Service
1919 - Fire destroys abandoned second Southern Hotel, built 1878 in Newhall (corner Main & Market) [story]
Second Southern Hotel
1927 - Newhall telephone exchange, est. 1900, now serves 100 phones [story]
telephone
2003 - Lifesize sculpture honoring heroes of St. Francis Dam disaster unveiled in Santa Paula [video]
The Warning
In the first of three matches on consecutive nights in Arizona, The Master's men's volleyball team defeated Benedictine-Mesa in three sets 27-25, 28-26, 25-19.
TMU Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Benu in Arizona
Greg Herrick, the former longtime College of the Canyons women's basketball head coach who recorded 611 career wins while winning 16 conference titles, was inducted into the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCWBCA) Hall of Fame during the organization's annual Banquet of Champions at Mt. San Antonio College on March 13.
Longtime COC Women’s Basketball Coach Herrick Enshrined in Hall of Fame
The Santa Clarita Planning Commission will hold its regular meeting Tuesday, March 19, at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd. 1st Floor, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
March 19: Planning Commission to Discuss Wiley Canyon Mixed Use Project
Attend the city of Santa Clarita's most unique egg hunt, the Splash N’ Dash at the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center, presented by Kaiser Permanente.
March 30: Dive into Spring at Splash n’ Dash Egg Hunt
String orchestras and concert bands from around the Santa Clarita Valley and Southern California will participate in the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association concert festival hosted by West Ranch High School on Tuesday, March 26 and Wednesday, March 27, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
March 26-27: SoCal School Band, Orchestra Concert Festival
SCVNews.com