Celia Jiménez here. I’m happy to learn that young adults facing homelessness in Monterey County will soon receive help, thanks to $1.6 million in funds from a Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program grant, after the City of Soledad stepped up to administer it.
As Weekly staff writer Pam Marino reported this week, the grant was on hold for months after Oakland-based nonprofit Bay Area Community Services, the agency that was awarded the grant, left the county.
Soledad has to spend these funds by Dec. 31.
“It’s a very tight deadline,” Beatriz Trujillo, Soledad’s community and economic development director, told Marino. “We’re going to do our best to get as much money out the door as possible.”
In her story, Marino explains the purpose of this grant: to help young adults transition into housing and aid them in paying for basic household expenses and rent.
Monterey County has the highest percentage of unhoused students statewide, so it’s not far-fetched to think that many young adults in the area are struggling with these issues.
If you know any Monterey County residents aged 18-24 who are struggling, encourage them to apply. A pre-screening application is available at bit.ly/soledad-yhdp. For information, call 223-5179 or email programs@cityofsoledad.gov.