Money to help young adults facing homelessness is finally available after delay and uncertainty.

A grant program meant to lift Monterey County’s young adults out of homelessness over the past year was held up for months after the original agency in charge of the program left the county, followed by federal uncertainty that ensued after President Donald Trump took office in January. It’s now safely in the hands of the City of Soledad, but with only a few months left to expend over $1.6 million in funds to those in need by Dec. 31.

“It’s a very tight deadline,” says Beatriz Trujillo, Soledad’s community and economic development director. “We’re going to do our best to get as much money out the door as possible.”

The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program grant (YHDP), awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is designed to assist eligible “transition-aged” young adults, including those with children. The grant money can be used for rental assistance, rapid rehousing costs and covering basic household expenses. It can also be used by the city for program costs and case management.

The services are available to any eligible adult between the ages of 18-24 in Monterey County.

Oakland-based nonprofit Bay Area Community Services was originally awarded the grant of around $2.4 million in 2022. At the time, BACS was operating the SHARE Center, a homeless shelter in Salinas, co-owned by the County of Monterey and City of Salinas. The city and county awarded a management contract to BACS in 2021 as the SHARE Center’s first operator.

Cracks in the relationship between BACS and the city and county appeared in 2023, with city and county officials raising concerns, according to a CalMatters investigation published in February. After the BACS contract ended in June 2024, the city and county awarded a new contract to Monterey-based Community Human Services to operate the center.

With BACS leaving the county, it was unclear what would become of what was left of the YHDP grant. As a solution was being hammered out, the Department of Government Efficiency launched, throwing doubt on whether the funds would be available at all. HUD eventually gave the go-ahead to transfer the money, and a sub-recipient agreement was worked out between BACS and Soledad.

The South County city was chosen in part because former BACS employee Kimberly Herrera was hired as Soledad’s homeless services coordinator and had previously administered the grant.

The Soledad City Council voted on July 2 to approve administration of the program. It’s no small commitment, says Soledad City Manager Megan Hunter. The city must spend the money up front, then seek reimbursement from HUD.

“Soledad is proving that we really want to provide housing at all levels of affordability, including the deepest levels,” Hunter says.

A YHDP pre-screening application is available at bit.ly/soledad-yhdp. More information is available at 223-5179 or programs@cityofsoledad.gov.