LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A county committee has recommended to the Board of Supervisors that the former juvenile hall facility, closed now for four and a half years, could serve as a temporary support shelter for the community’s homeless.
On Tuesday morning, County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson, a member of the County Space Use Committee, reported the committee’s findings to the board during a brief update.
On May 19, the board had discussed using juvenile hall as a housing navigational hub, and gave staff approval to research the associated costs and needs.
Then, last week, the board approved the release of a request for proposals for daily operations and fiscal management of a temporary support shelter targeting Lake County’s chronically homeless population, according to Huchingson’s written report.
Because of the request for proposals being issued on an urgent basis, last week, Huchingson – who is the County Space Use Committee’s convenor – called a committee meeting to discuss the use of the juvenile hall as a temporary support shelter targeting the homeless population.
Huchingson said that, in addition to herself, committee members include board members Rob Brown and Moke Simon, Public Services Director Lars Ewing and Bob Allen of building maintenance. The committee meets on an as-needed basis.
Huchingson said the committee is recommending that the juvenile hall – which closed as a detention facility in October 2015 – be used temporarily, for up to six months, for the proposed homeless services to allow a broader discussion about the long term use of the facility.
Supervisor Bruno Sabatier said he appreciated that the space committee is willing to allow for the juvenile hall facility to be used for homeless services on an emergency basis. That will allow the county to fine-tune the approach and look at whether the facility would be appropriate for long-term use.
Supervisor Tina Scott said she also appreciated the space committee’s conclusion about the temporary use of the facility so that what is needed for a permanent use can be assessed.
She said it’s the move needed to make sure that when the county’s emergency COVID-19 shelter closes, 40 people aren’t put out on the street.
“So I’m really excited that we’re moving in this direction,” she said.
Board Chair Moke Simon said a long-term conversation needs to happen with community input, and he was glad the committee was able to meet so quickly.
The only public input offered was a question about how the proposal would impact the use of the former juvenile hall facility as a day reporting center for the Lake County Probation Department.
Chief Probation Officer Rob Howe told the board that because of the pandemic, the Probation Department doesn’t have programming classes taking place at the facility right now.
“We’re exploring other ways to complete those classes without having the group classroom, face-to-face contact,” Howe said.
He said the proposal calls for using a portion of the facility that’s not used by the Probation Department for its day reporting center.
Part of the discussions ahead, Howe said, will involve potential problems or conflicts. However, he said it doesn’t look like there will be a problem.
Sabatier thanked Howe for being accommodating of five tours that have so far been taken by local officials as part of assessing the juvenile hall facility, a process that started in January. He said Howe has been patient in helping with the walkthroughs and supportive.
During the discussion, Sabatier also noted that a meeting involving the request for proposals included a good number of nonprofits interested in operating the facility.
The board did not take action as the item was just a committee report.
Separately, the request for proposals, issued on June 17, will remain open until noon on July 17.
The introduction on the county’s request for proposals page explains that the Lake County Behavioral Health Services Department, in partnership with the Lake County Department of Social Services, “is requesting one or more proposals for daily operations and fiscal management of a temporary support shelter targeting Lake County’s chronically homeless population.”
The final project will be selected by the Lake County Board of Supervisors in a public meeting after a departmental selection committee’s review and ranking for submittal compliance with the applicable funding requirements.
The county said the selection committee will be comprised of senior department staff and at least one professional with applicable expertise not employed by any of the entities likely to submit a proposal.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
County committee recommends temporary use of former juvenile hall for homeless support shelter
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On