South Bay Community Services offers many programs and resources for children, youth and families. Included in these services are programs for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
The community based nonprofit defines homelessness into two categories: homeless families and those who are chronically homeless. Homeless families are defined as families who are a paycheck away from being homeless. For these families, SBCS offers housing programs such as rental assistance, hotel-motel vouchers and emergency housing.
Homeless families can benefit from emergency, transitional or affordable housing. This program offers more than 400 units of affordable housing.
With emergency housing, families are required to get additional services.
“In emergency housing for families we do a very holistic approach, so it’s about families being self-sufficient,” said Patty Chavez, communication and external affairs director for SBCS.
SBCS also helps families by putting them through a job-readiness program, getting them mental health counseling, necessary clothing and food.
Chavez said the organization tries to breakdown any barriers for homeless families so that they can be self-sufficent.
The transitional housing program is a nine-month program where individuals can stabilize themselves. With transitional housing, assists parents with finding child care, and helps them with health related issues. After transitional housing, SBCS places the families into stable housing. When a family finally moves into a home or an apartment SBCCS provides food to stock the kitchen, get furniture and “everything for them to start a whole new life,” Chavez said.
Chavez said many homeless families are domestic violence victims who fled their situation; while others are whole families who for whatever reason started living in their car with nowhere else to live.
SBCS also provides affordable housing for families, affordable living for seniors, permanent affordable housing, and emergency shelters.
Chronic homeless is described as single women or men who have been living on the streets for a long period of time.
For them, SBCS gives clothing and food and give a hot meal through its hot meal program.
Chavez said SBCS does not have any housing assistance for chronic homeless individuals but the nonprofit does have job-training programs for them.
“Housing for the single, male and single female adults, I think is one of the obstacles here especially in South County to help those individuals stabilize,” she said. ”We can provide supportive services for those single males and females but we don’t have housing per say like we do for the families.”
Chavez said job opportunity; job development and job readiness are integrated into all their programs because that is the best way for them to become self-sufficient.
Chavez said SBCS also works with homeless youth and young adults from ages 16 to 23.
“Majority or most of them are youth transitioning out of the foster care system,” she said. “Maybe Some of them are just having a hard time [living] at home or got into some trouble.”
Chavez said all of SBCS’s homeless programs are funded through the federal, state and county government, private donations and grant funding.
Job opportunity, job development and job readiness skills are all integrated into all their programs because that’s the way these people become self-suffient.
SBCS also receives food and clothing donations.
