The Tulare County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to continue an agreement with RH Community Builders to provide homelessness support services in the county through the state’s Project Roomkey and Homekey.
The contract – which is retroactive from April 1 – runs through June 30, 2022, and totals $714,757.
RH Community Builders – a Fresno-based housing builder and social services provider – partnered with Tulare County to provide case management services at Sequoia Village.
Sequoia Village, a rormer Visalia motel, has been transformed into a 50-unit transitional shelter for the homeless.
RH Community Builders completed over $1 million in upgrades and renovations to the motel to convert the units into homeless housing, and the organization is continuing to develop the property to eventually contain 50 units of permanent housing.
The agreement will serve the 73 homeless individuals who are currently housed at Sequoia Village, as well as anyone else who is referred to the homeless unit in the future as spaces open for people transitioning to permanent housing.
For case management, RH Community Builders provides wraparound services for the homeless that are focused on their overall health and wellbeing.
The organization conducts a wellness assessment and wellness plan of each homeless client within the first three days of entering Sequoia Village.
That includes assessing physical health, mental health, housing, employment, income and access to entitlements such as food stamps.
RH Community Builders also employs an operations coordinator at Sequoia Village, who provides onsite services such as laundry, transportation and compliance with program expectations.
Homeless clients are supported with transportation to appointments for mental health, physical health and substance abuse treatment.
Transportation is also provided to the DMV and Social Security to assist homeless individuals with obtaining needed documents.
Private security services are also provided on site to ensure that the homeless clients are following residential rules set in place at Sequoia Village.
