Client News
Supportive transitional housing opens at the former Fairview Inn
What was once the Fairview Inn in Salinas will soon be a place to call home for members of community in need of support.
The Fairview Housing Complex celebrated its grand opening on Thursday with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey.
The spirit of interagency collaboration was reflected by a strong showing of local officials from the county of Monterey, city of Salinas, among many other organizations.
The 46-unit property is designed to serve individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The units are fully renovated and move-in ready studios, with clean white walls, dark wood floors and a small kitchenette in each. The units are intended to help Salinas residents on their way to long term stability in a supportive and dignified manner, said Monterey County District 3 supervisor Chris Lopez.
"The folks that will move in here are us. We're all one rent check from maybe needing help and we are creating help and hope through facilities like this," said Lopez.
"These aren't endpoints. These are rungs on a ladder. If that rung doesn't exist, skipping two is not possible for them. But when that rung exists, we can climb out of the situation we find ourselves in and we can create that ladder for so many of our neighbors," Lopez said.
With a total acquisition cost of $8 million, funding the Fairview project was a collaborative effort, with the California Department of Housing and Community Development, city of Salinas, and Monterey County Health Department pitching in.
Leasing and coordinated housing placement will be managed by the County of Monterey Coalition of Homeless Service providers.
Many in attendence said that beyond just providing a place to live, the Fairview project is intended to provide "wrap around services," like food, case management and support for addiction and mental health challenges. Residents will also be assited in developing individualized Housing Stability Plans and will receive support finding employment.
"You're not just putting them in housing and leaving them there, but you're giving them the support to keep it, to maintain their lives again," said Salinas City Councilwoman Gloria De La Rosa.
This comprehensive support will be provided by Step Up, a nonprofit organization that specializes in providing services helping unhoused individuals reintegrate into the community.
In the past decade that Fairview has been in the works, it's faced no shortage of challenges, including a previous developer defaulting on loans, resulting in the Housing Authority eventually stepping in to purchase the property.
"Building housing is not easy. Providing supportive services is not easy. These efforts take a lot of courage, they take a lot of political will and they take persistence," said Luis Alejo, Monterey County Supervisor for District 1.
Fairview also faced hesitancy by many residents in the surrounding community about welcoming the facility into their neighborhood.
"We heard from many constituents nearby this facility who had issue with this," said Dominic Dursa, the district director for Assemblymember Robert Rivas. Dursa was optimistic however, that once residents start to move in, neighbors' fears will be eased.
"What we know is that when this place opens its doors, those complaints will go away. It's a friend, it's a neighbor, it's somebody's child, it's somebody's community–that's who gets housed. That's who has an opportunity," Dursa said.
Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue was encouraged by the progress made by the Fairview project as part of the city's goals to address the local housing issue, but said there is more work to be done.
"Specific to the homelessness and transitional housing issue, this is a good next step," Donohue said.
Donohue said the model of interagency collaboration exemplified by this project is "the right strategy, right combination and a really good result."
The Fairview project shows a promising trend in the world of supportive housing, with other similar projects – 45 units in King City and 14 units in Soledad – opening later this month.
About Housing Authority of the County of Monterey
Created in 1941, The Housing Authority of the County or Monterey (HACM) is a locally controlled public agency that leverages funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other sources to provide affordable housing and rental assistance to low-income families throughout Monterey County. HACM partners with a broad spectrum of community non-profits, city and county agencies, and state organizations to address affordable housing and housing shortage issues. The organization provides a variety of housing and services through: The Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly Section 8), Farm Labor Housing and Tax Credit and other affordable housing programs. HACM is the primary provider of rental assistance to low-income families throughout Monterey County, and currently serves 7,816 individuals through the Housing Choice Voucher Program. HACM also owns and manages affordable housing properties. HACM currently owns 11 properties and manages 55 properties. The total number of units is 1,274, which serves 9,076 county residents.