(Carla Hass)
(PLACERVILLE, CA)– Elected officials from El Dorado County, the City of South Lake Tahoe and the City of Placerville are scheduled to hold a public meeting Friday, September 6th regarding the issue of homelessness. It is the first time the three jurisdictions have held a joint meeting on any issue.
"This is a pervasive and increasingly challenge in all areas of our County and if we, as government bodies, are to make meaningful progress, we must take a holistic, collective approach to addressing this issue," said El Dorado County Chief Administrative Officer, Don Ashton.
The purpose of the Sept 6th meeting will be to introduce the upcoming five-year homeless strategic planning process in El Dorado County.
The meeting will include review of local data on homelessness to ensure the City Councils and Board of Supervisors have a common understanding of County-wide data on local homelessness, a review of upcoming funding streams through the State of California, and an overview of what to expect over the coming weeks and months as the strategic planning process kicks off and is implemented.
Presentations will be made by representatives from HomeBase, a nationally recognized non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to providing technical assistance to county-regions in their efforts to impact homelessness and which currently provides such assistance to El Dorado County Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care; the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency about implementing the upcoming Homeless Housing Assistance Program; and Daniel Del Monte, El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency deputy director regarding the overall state of homelessness in the County.
"The meeting will conclude with a brief presentation from Catholic Charities of Sonoma County, providing a sort of "show and tell" on an evidence based program that is highly successful in Santa Rosa, CA," said El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency director, Don Semon. "Their program has impacted homelessness, reduced local costs to jurisdictions, hospitals, and businesses, and will be informative for all stakeholders and the public."
The meeting will be held at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, Organ Room at 1:00 p.m. and is open to the public.
