Bridge to Home will not be opening its emergency homeless shelter in Santa Clarita on Thursday despite pressure from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to do so.
“The agency we work with hasn’t given us our contract yet, and we are working with them as to what day we can open,” said Tim Davis, executive director of Bridge to Home.
About two weeks ago, the supervisors voted to provide extra funding for homeless shelters to open up approximately one month earlier than normal due to the likelihood of a severe El Nino season, said Kathryn Barger, chief deputy to Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.
The board also signed off on a decision to increase beds for more capacity, Barger said.
The shelters that will not be open by Oct. 15 will not be paid but will be reimbursed for the extra beds, Barger said.
“The whole premise is, it’s an emergency shelter, and they won’t get paid for those days,” said Barger.
The normal opening date for Bridge to Home’s shelter is Nov. 23, Davis said.
“I am sure we will open before then, but I can’t give you an accurate answer on that yet,” he said.
The Board of Supervisors approved a motion earlier this week which invests $15 million on programs to rehouse the homeless rapidly and try to prevent homelessness.
The money for the programs will come from the Los Angeles County’s Homeless Prevention Initiative fund, which started with $50 million at the beginning of this fiscal year and recently grew by another $51 million, according to the county.
Bridge to Home operates an emergency winter shelter at 23031 Drayton Street which normally holds a maximum of 60 single men or women. The phone number in the shelter office is 661-388-0086.
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12 Comments
Oh boy so much bs going on people need this place
Why does it need to close in the first place? Where are the people that need the extra beds when they are closed?
Figures. They put off later and later each year. Excuses Excuses.
Actually they usually don’t open till Thanksgiving, I think it was 11/20 in 2014, they are trying to open early due to possible El Niño
Obviously we need year-round shelter and Transitional Living program and of course, low-income housing for the desperately poor people in Santa Clarita. We fought with the City Council for 10 years before they finally agreed to having a permanent Cold Weather Shelter. (Actually the only way we finally got our shelter was that the State Legislature had to pass a law forbidding jurisdictions from barring shelters and transitional housing programs. Passed because Santa Clarita City Council was so pig-headed for 10 years, despite massive community support for the shelter, to allow a permanent cold-weather shelter) We need to tell City Council that we want a good housing program here because, yes Virginia, Santa Clarita has A LOT of homeless people here. AND we need to help Bridges to Home raise money so they can run a year-round shelter, then a transitional housing program and eventually adequate subsidized housing. The City has gotten away with so much in failing to do this. And where do these people go when the shelter isn’t opened since the police are rousting them out of the Wash? Being poor should not be considered a crime. Do you know how many homeless children there are in our schools? Hundreds.
The legislative action you mention came several years after we started having an annual winter shelter. It related to establishing zones for permanent shelters (which we do not have) and transitional housing programs (which we do not have in the sense that the legislation describes.) As a result of the legislation, Santa Clarita designated two overlay zones where permanent shelters/transitional housing are allowed. One is in the Valencia Industrial Center and one is in the Centre Pointe area. The legislation didn’t mandate that a shelter be established in those locations, but (long story short) it did have the effect of allowing one there “by right,” if someone came along with the funding to establish one. Bridge to Home has been working toward that goal. The legislation has absolutely nothing to do with the winter homeless shelter that Bridge to Home operates in Santa Clarita each year. As for “rousting people out of the wash” — it’s always the same individuals, and they refuse to take advantage of the mental health services available to them. But as a professional in the field, you’re probably aware of that.
Not all of the Homeless people have mental problems as a lot of you people think; some of these people are homeless because they lost their jobs homes and family and they have no where to go me and my girlfriend have seen homeless people with kids of their own and a lot of you people want to say that it tied in with mental problems that’s not true, also a lot of you people say you help the homeless when actually you don’t a lot of you people don’t even have a kind word for any of the homeless people a lot of you want to seen just how rude you can be and how many hurtful comments you can make just remember the homeless people are human just like the rest of you people and we have feelings to you want the homeless people to treat you people with respect treat us homeless people with respect; respect is a two way street. Me and Kris see and deal with you people being rude everyday when we are by Walgreens and Food4less at Soledad Canyon Rd and Whites Canyon Rd. Me and Kris have done nothing to you people for you people to be so rude to us, we have been honest to you people about our homeless situation from the very beginning and yet you people still choose to be rude to us even when we our honest and ask for help to get a motel room for the night at either the Super8 Motel or the Travelodge both are located on Sierra Highway in Santa Clarita its sad and hurts me and Kris when you people are rude to us and say hurtful comments to us. All me and Kris ask is that you people look at the full picture and ask yourself if I was in that same situation would I want some to help me the answer to that is yes, so lets be kind one to another, Jesus says this very clearly when he said be ye kind one to another love one another even as I have loved you, here is something the Apostle Paul said don’t be conformed to this world, the Apostle Paul also said set your affections on things of above not those of the earth, this world has nothing to offer any one Jesus said that Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away, a lot of you people think that you are better than the next person you are not, better than the next person so please don’t go around thinking that you are; because when you start doing that than you are judging the other person and Jesus tells us in Matthew Chapter 7 versus 1 Judge not that ye be not Judged, don’t judge the other person because we are in no position to be Judging any one the only person who has the right to Judge us and that’s the Lord Jesus himself. One more thing don’t let Satan deceive you and lead astray from what Jesus has to offer you; Jesus has more to offer you than what this world can offer you and Jesus can offer you more than what Satan can offer you; by one man faith entered the world. Jesus is the way the truth and the life, Jesus can give eternal life joy peace and happiness all you have to do is ask him.
they have a year around homeless shelter in lancaster and a family one in castaic
I herd bridge to home treat them crappy
I thought the one on Centre Pointe was run by volunteers from local church’s? Is that not there anymore? I understand families need help but so do the homeless teens. There are not enough beds. Move your butts and get at least on open. The city council should be helping facilitate this.
Also there needs to be a safe legal place to park overnight when they are sleeping in their cars. I hear WALMART had all the cars kicked out of their parking lot’s after one man died of natural causes in his car.
I’m getting tired of reading all you city-bashers complaining that the city has done nothing to facilitate the homeless shelter. Are you the same people who scream NIMBY (not in my back yard) whenever the shelter seeks a permanent location?
I’ am so sick and tired of all you people who shop at Food4Less and Walgreens at Soledad Canyon Road and Whites Canyon road being rude and obnoxious to me and Kris, if you people can’t stop being rude and making nasty comments stay home or go shop some place else, there is NO reason and NO excuse why you people want to so rude; you people need to grow up and start being respectful towards everyone including the Homeless people show some class and some common sense you people would not someone being rude to you.