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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10051993 - 2.2 HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA TO: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS rROM: Richard J. Martinez, Executive Director DATE: October 5, 1993 SUBJECT: REPORT ON BEYOND SHELTER INITIATIVES SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I. RECOMMENDED ACTION: ACCEPT Housing Authority's report titled "Beyond Shelter Initiatives" . II. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. III. REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND: On September 20, 1993 during a Joint Workshop with the Advisory Housing Commission, the Board of Commissioners requested that the Executive Director compile a report on the programs provided by the Housing Authority that go beyond shelter. IV. CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE ACTION: None. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE RECOMMENDATION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S) : ACTION OF BOARD ON October 5 , 1993 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED x OTHER VOTE OF COMMISSIONERS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A x UNANIMOUS (ABSENT 1 TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE ABSENT: AIISTAIN: MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED October 5 , 1993 PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DOUNTY MINISTRATOR BY , DEPUTY Beyond Shelter InitiatWes A Report to the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa Prepared by Richard J. Martinez Executive Director October 5, 1993 Beyond Shelter Initiatives A Report to the Board of Commissioners of the abusing Authority of the County of Contra Costa Prepared by Richard ]. Martinez Executive Director October 5, 1993 • Beyond Shelter Initiatives of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa Introduction The primary mission of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa (HACCC) is to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing for low-income families, senior citizens, the homeless, and physically and mentally challenged residents of Contra Costa County. Over the past 10 years, HACCC has successfully renovated our public housing developments for families and plans for similar improvements to our senior housing are in the works. We are also snaking all our developments accessible for the physically challenged. To increase the supply of affordable rental units in the County, the Authority is developing an 82-unit senior independent living community in Antioch. In addition, HACCC runs a rental housing rehabilitation program, which gives loans to owners of affordable rental properties in need of physical improvements. While our chief task is creating and providing affordable housing, we realize that HACCC must go beyond shelter and beyond bricks-and-mortar to help residents to improve their economic, social, and physical well-being. In recognition of this, HACCC works with residents; the business community, educators, job training specialists, social service providers, and interested citizens to develop and support programs that (1) strengthen families and (2) promote self-sufficiency and economic independence. This report details our efforts to date in the following areas: ' 1. Self-Sufficiency Programs and Resident Initiatives 2. Child Development Centers 3. Drug Prevention and Education Programs 4. Youth Alternative Programs HACCC staff is enthusiastic about the Agency's "Beyond Shelter" initiatives and is proud of the progress reflected in this report. Self-Sufficiency Programs and Resident Initiatives Self-Sufficiency Programs and Resident Initiatives The people we serve at the Housing Authority want the opportunity to improve the quality of their lives both economically and socially. Often, HACCC clients need help accessing the social, educational, counseling, and job training services that can make the difference in their lives and get thein on the path to self-sufficiency and economic independence. We are committed to working with them to get these important services. The Housing Authority has several programs designed to meet the varying needs of HACCC clients. A brief description'. of the programs is set forth below. 1. Family Self-Sufficiency Program. HACCC is participating in a new U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Program called Family Self- Sufficiency (FSS). The goal of this program is to enable families to be free of public assistance after five years. HACCC will enroll 100 families under the Section 8 rental assistance program. The Family Self-Sufficiency Coordinator will complete a needs assessment for each participant to find out where the client is on the road to economic self- sufficiency and develop a plan that may include education, job training, and a variety of support service to enable the participant to attain their goal. The plans will be as diverse as the desires of the participants. HACCC will partner with the County, nonprofit service providers, schools, and the private sector. The Youth Services Board will appoint representatives to serve on the FSS Program Coordinating Committee. Families in this program pay rent based on their income. As an incentive for participating in FSS, HACCC will deposit in an escrow savings account a match for each dollar increase in rent because their earning power has increased. At the end of the five-year program, when economic self- sufficiency elf- suffciency is attained, the escrow account will be given to the families. 2. Family Unification Program. HACCC won a special set-aside under the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program to begin a pilot Family Unification Program. The purpose of this program is to assist families whose children are in danger of being removed from the home and placed in foster care because of a lack of suitable housing or who are trying to unite with children already in foster care because of their parents lack of stable housing. HACCC will partner with the Social Services Department to help these families stay together. 3. Shared Housing Program. In response to a need in the community, HACCC adopted. a Shared Housing Program component under the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program. This program allows recipients of rental assistance to share an apartment or a house with another Section 8 recipient or a housemate not receiving assistance. Shared Housing was adopted initially to assist developmentally disabled adults from Las Trampas in Lafayette, who were ready to live in a more independent setting but needed to share housing for support. The program is available to any Section 8 recipient, but mainly appeals to seniors and physically or developmentally challenged clients. 2 4. Mountain View Transitional Housing Program. The Mountain View House is a County owned transitional housing facility for single women and families. Operated by an experienced nonprofit, the goal of the program is to provide each resident with the dignity, self-esteem, motivation, and living skills necessary to obtain and maintain permanent housing and employment. The program provides a supportive, secure setting that meets the immediate needs of residents and allows them to concentrate on their individual self-sufficiency plans. On site services include: (1) case management, (2) health evaluation, care, and referral, (3) adult education and employment assistance (including preemployment training coupled with work experience at the shelter and at community training sites), (4) a computer integrated learning program for children, K through 12 with a parental involvement component, and (5) a home based Head Start program for children ages three to five. Residents stay for three to six months. Supportive follow-up services continue for a period of six months after residents achieve self-sufficiency and move into permanent housing. 5. Residents Councils. The formation of Residents Councils (RCs) is an important first step in empowering residents to participate fully in developing appropriate services, keeping their communities drug free, and creating vehicles for economic development. HACCC has active RCs at the three largest family developments: Las Deltas, Bayo Vista, and LI Pueblo. Two senior complexes also have active RCs. The Housing Authority has given space at the developments to the RCs to use as offices. All the RCs have elected officers and have established organizational bylaws. El Pueblo Residents Council Technical Assistance Grant Application. HACCC staff recently worked on a teclulical assistance grant application (TAG) to HUD with the RC at El Pueblo. The E1 Pueblo RC is particularly interested in developing economic alternatives to the local drug trade and organizing residents to take back their community. If successful, the EI Pueblo RC will receive $40,000 to complete the legal work to attain nonprofit status, ' improve its bylaws, survey the residents on service needs, and initiate an intensive training program to meet the identified needs. 6. Student Cooperative Work Program. HACCC has ten paid, part-time student positions located in our offices across the County. The program gives priority to high school and college students Nvho live in public housing or participate in the Section 8 rental assistance pro-ram. Students must attend school full-time and maintain a C or better grade point average. Students may not work more than 20 hours a week to avoid interference with their academic requirements. 7. College Scholarship Program. Every year HACCC awards college scholarships to students who live in public housing or participate in the Section 8 rental assistance program. Students who attend community college receive $400; students attending four year colleges receive $850. In 1993, HACCC awarded nine scholarships. 3 Child Development Centers S Child Development Centers Safe, affordable, and reliable child care is an essential component of any plan to promote self- sufficiency for families. Single mothers cannot work or pursue educational opportunities without it. In light of this, HACCC aims to establish a child development center at each family public housing development. The Authority is close to meeting this goal: eight out of the ten family developments have either a functioning center or concrete plans for one. HACCC developed five child development centers in the past four years and one is in the works. All the centers are on Housing Authority owned land. In addition, there has been a child development center at Bayo Vista in Rodeo for many years. The following is a list of all the child development centers, a short description of each, and an explanation of the sources of funding. Los Nogales Modular Head Start Facility, Brentwood. This center was completed in April of 1993 and is located on surplus Iand next to the newly modernized Los Nogales public housing development. The United Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations uses the center to operate a Head Start Program that serves the greater Brentwood area. The facility is equipped with classroom space, a residential kitchen, and a play yard. A federal Head Start Expansion Grant obtained by the County Community Services Department paid for the center. Las Deltas Child Development Center, A'orth Richmond. Completed in March of 1993, this newly constructed 3900 square foot facility was designed to serve infants and preschoolers. The center is being used by the County Community Services Department to support Head Start and infant care programs for the North Richmond community. In addition to ample classroom space, the complex has a large play yard, offices, and a kitchen. The County's Community Development Block Grant Program and the County Transient Occupancy Tax provided the primary funding for this center. 50 Silver Avenue Head Start Center, North Richmond' A residential public housing duplex was converted into a Head Start program center now operated by the County's Community Services Department. Finished in March of 1993, the center has classrooms, a play yard, offices, and a conference room. This center was financed with public housing Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program funds and a federal Head Start Expansion Grant obtained by the County Community Services Department. Bridgemont Child Developrnent Center, Antioch In August of 1992, HACCC converted a small (900 square feet) unused building into a Head Start facility. It is at the end of a cul de sac neighboring the Bridgemont Public Housing Development. The United Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations operates a Head Start program in the center. The rehabilitation costs were funded by the City of Antioch's Community Development Block Grant Program and public housing Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program monies. • 4 Lavonia Allen Child Development Center, West Pittsburg. The Housing Authority built this center in 1991. Besides its classrooms, office, and play area, this building has a large community meeting room. The County Community Services Department runs a Head Start Program at the center. The County Community Development Block Grant Program and HACCC financed this facility. Bayo Vista Child and Family Center, Rodeo. This center is the oldest operating on Housing Authority property. A Head Start program operates out of the center, which consists of a large auditorium, a kitchen, and an office. Preschool Coordinating Council, Inc., Pittsburg. The Preschool Coordinating Council, Inc. operates a child development center on a parcel of land neighboring the El Pueblo development for which HACCC has a long-term lease. The center has both infant and child development programs and works closely with the families at El Pueblo. In addition to leasing the site to the Council, HACCC contributed partial construction funds and some money for a recent expansion. Los Arboles Child Development Center, Oakley. This project is in the planning stages. The basic design of the complex is in place and a structural assessment (including geotechnical analysis) has been completed. However, the HACCC has not secured funding for the project. IIACCC has submitted an application for partial funding through the County Community Development Block Grant Program. • 5 Drug Prevention and Education Programs i Drug Prevention and Education Programs Unfortunately, drugs and drug-related crimes have invaded some communities served by the Housing Authority. The presence of the drug trade can have serious effects on family life in public housing. HACCC is working diligently to rid our developments of drugs and to provide or locate services to help residents to deal with drug-related problems. We want residents who are addicted to drugs to be able to find treatment services, reenter the workforce, and rebuild their relationships with their children. We want kids in public housing to have access to engaging recreational and educational facilities that will connect them to the community-at-large and prevent them from getting involved with drugs. And, we want everyone who lives, works, and visits the developments to feel safe and secure. A brief description of our efforts to deal with drug-related problems is provided below. 1. Project PRIDE. HACCC won over $1 million over four years to fund Project PRIDE -- a comprehensive strategy to eliminate drugs and drug-related crimes at the Las Deltas development in North Richmond. Residents, community leaders, HACCC staff, and police developed the program together to ensure a smooth, coordinated effort. PRIDE stands for Police and Resident Initiatives for Drug.Elimination. There is a Project PRIDE Center in a renovated administrative building, which has two large activity rooms and a computer room. Project PRIDE features community oriented policing, youth programs, drug treatment counseling and referral services, and resident empowerment. Com7771117ity Oriented Policing. The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department has two Deputies at Las Deltas, Chris Hughs and Phyliss Holloman, who have received specialized training in cultural awareness and community oriented policing. The officers have become an integral part of the community, built community trust in the Sheriffs Department, reduced community fear of crime, and enhanced the quality of life for the Las Deltas Community. Last year Officer Holloman was named Contra Costa County "Officer of the Year," which is an indication of the Sheriffs Department's commitment to the effort at Las Deltas. Youth Programs. Project PRIDE's youth programs include (1) a "Just Say No Club," (2) a satellite club of the Salesians Boys and Girls Clubs of Richmond, which operates a wide range of recreational activities, (3) Girl Scouts, and (4) an after school tutoring service for grades K-12. Drug Treatinew and Counseling Referral Services. Center staff work to bring needed services to the residents and keep the residents informed on what is available in the surrounding community. Support groups for women and grandparents also meet in the Center. Resident Councils. The residents of Las Deltas have formed a Residents Council, which has elected officers and drafted bylaws. The Las Deltas Residents Council is in the process of obtaining nonprofit status. HACCC has made units available in the development 6 for the Residents Council office space. The goal of this component of Project PRIDE is to empower the residents to take an active part in their community and to develop a mechanism through which employment opportunities for residents could be developed. 2. City of Pittsburg Police Department Community Policing/Cultural Awareness Center. HACCC is providing a unit in the El Pueblo development to serve as ap on-site Community Policing/Cultural Awareness Center. The program will offer youth educational and recreational activities, anti-drug programs, and cultural awareness events. The program will be operated by a local police officer and community services officers. The program is designed to (1) promote the value of school and education, (2) enhance cultural awareness among the diverse resident population, (3) provide kids with alternatives to drug-related activities, (4) reduce the presence of drugs and drug-related crimes in the development, (5) improve the relationship between the residents and the Police Department, and (6) better the quality of life for the residents and the surrounding community. i • 7 Youth Alternative Programs Youth Alternative Programs It is imperative that the youth in public housing neighborhoods affected by the growing drug trade have easy alternatives to participating in the drug culture and safe havens to experience their childhoods. HACCC is committed to working with residents to bring these alternatives to their communities. HACCC is not the only group to have realized this important need. In 1988, as the Authority was searching for successful providers of alternative programs for kids, the national headquarters of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America issued a directive to its membership urging it to develop partnerships with housing authorities to establish programs in public housing developments. Contra Costa's Boys and Girls Clubs have been very receptive to this concept. A description of HACCC's joint efforts with the Clubs is provided below. The Boys and Girls Club of Bayo Vista. HACCC was one of five select housing authorities in the country to get a grant to develop a Boys and Girls Club in a public housing development. The Boys and Girls Club of Martinez in partnership with HACCC established the satellite Club at Bayo Vista. The Authority renovated and significantly expanded a field house at the site to house the Club. The Boys and Girls Club recruited kids and developed a full-range of youth activities. The Salesians Boys and Girls Club of North Richmond. The effort at Bayo Vista was so successful that the Housing Authority decided to replicate the model at the Las Deltas development in North Riclunond. As a part of IIACCC's Project PRIDE, a satellite of the Salesians Boys and Girls Club of San Pablo formed at the development and the Housing Authority renovated an old administrative building to accommodate the Club. The Club offers activities and services in six core areas: (1) personal adjustment, (2) citizenship and leadership development, (3) cultural enrichment, (4) health and physical education, (5) social development, and (6) outdoor and environmental education. • 8 Conclusion HACCC is committed to playing an active role in improving the quality of life of the people we serve. It is not enough to house people. We must help low-income Contra Costans access the services and acquire the skills and tools they need to strengthen their families, achieve economic independence, and become self-sufficient. This repot has described the beginning of our efforts to go beyond shelter to provide supportive services to program participants. HACCC staff has worked arduously to leverage HACCC funds with . other sources and will continue to seek out new ideas, programs, and partnerships to expand and improve our "Beyond Shelter Initiatives." 9 f Beyond Shelter Initiatwes A Report to the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa Prepared by Richard 1. Martinez Executive Director October 5, 1993 �J • Beyond Shelter Initiatwees A Report to the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa Prepared by. Richard J. Martinez Executive Director October 5, 1993 Beyond Shelter Initiatives of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa Introduction The primary mission of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa (HACCC) is to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing for low-income families, senior citizens, the homeless, and physically and mentally challenged residents of Contra Costa County. Over the past 10 years, HACCC has successfully renovated our public housing developments for families and plans for similar improvements to our senior housing are in the works. We are also making all our developments accessible for the physically challenged. To increase the supply of affordable rental units in the County, the Authority is developing an 82-unit senior independent living community in Antioch. In addition, HACCC runs a rental housing rehabilitation program, which gives loans to owners of affordable rental properties in need of physical improvements. While our chief task is creating and providing affordable housing, we realize that HACCC • must go beyond shelter and beyond bricks-and-mortar to help residents to improve their economic, social, and physical well-being. In recognition of this, HACCC works with residents; the business community, educators, job training specialists, social service providers, and interested citizens to develop and support programs that (1) strengthen families and (2) promote self--sufficiency and economic independence. This report details our efforts to date in the following areas: 1. Self-Sufficiency Programs and Resident Initiatives 2. Child Development Centers 3. Drug Prevention and Education Programs 4. Youth Alternative Programs HACCC staff is enthusiastic about the Agency's "Beyond Shelter" initiatives and is proud of the progress reflected in this report. • Self-Sufficiency Programs and Resident Initiatives Self-Sufficiency Programs and Resident Initiatives The people we serve at the Housing Authority want the opportunity to improve the quality of their lives both economically and socially. Often, HACCC clients need help accessing the social, educational, counseling, and job training services that can make the difference in their lives and get them on the path to self-sufficiency and economic independence. We are committed to working with them to get these important services. The Housing Authority has several programs designed to meet the varying needs of HACCC clients. A brief description of the programs is set forth below. 1. Family Self-Sufficiency Program. HACCC is participating in a new U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Program called Family Self- Sufficiency (FSS). The goal of this program is to enable families to be free of public assistance after five years. HACCC will enroll 100 families under the Section 8 rental assistance program. The Family Self-Sufficiency Coordinator will complete a needs assessment for each participant to find out where the client is on the road to economic self.- sufficiency and develop a plan that may include education, job training, and a variety of support service to enable the participant to attain their goal. The plans will be as diverse as the desires of the participants. HACCC will partner with the County, nonprofit service providers, schools, and the private sector. The Youth Services Board will appoint representatives to serve on the FSS Program Coordinating Committee. Families in this • program pay rent based on their income. As an incentive for participating in FSS. HACCC will deposit in an escrow savings account a snatch for each dollar increase in rent because their earning power has increased. At the end of the five-year program, when economic self- sufficiency elfsufficiency is attained, the escrow account will be given to the families. 2. Family Unification Program. HACCC won a special set-aside under the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program to begin a pilot Family Unification Program. The purpose of this program is to assist families whose children are in danger of being removed from the home and placed in foster care because of a lack of suitable housing or who are trying to unite with children already in foster care because of their parents lack of stable housing. HACCC will partner with the Social Services Department to help these families stay together. 3. Shared Housing Program. In response to a need in the community, HACCC adopted a Shared Housing Program component under the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program. This program allows recipients of rental assistance to share an apartment or a house with another Section 8 recipient or a housemate not receiving assistance. Shared Housing was adopted initially to assist developmentally disabled adults from Las Trampas in Lafayette, who were ready to live in a more independent setting but needed to share housing for support. The program is available to any Section 8 recipient, but mainly appeals to seniors and physically or developmentally challenged clients. 2 • 4. Mountain View Transitional Housing Program. The Mountain View House is a County owned transitional housing facility for single women and families. Operated by an experienced nonprofit, the goal of the program is to provide each resident with the dignity, self-esteem, motivation, and living skills necessary to obtain and maintain permanent housing and employment. The program provides a supportive, secure setting that meets the immediate needs of residents and allows them to concentrate on their individual self-sufficiency plans. On site services include: (1) case management, (2) health evaluation, care, and referral, (3) adult education and employment assistance (including preemployment training coupled with work experience at the shelter and at community training sites), (4) a computer integrated , learning program for children, K through 12 with a parental involvement component, and (5) a home based Head Start program for children ages three to five. Residents stay for three to six months. Supportive follow-up services continue for a period of six months after residents achieve self-sufficiency and move into permanent housing. 5. Residents Councils. The formation of Residents Councils (RCs) is an important first step in empowering residents to participate fully in developing appropriate services, keeping their communities drug free, and creating vehicles for economic development. HACCC has active RCs at the three largest family developments: Las Deltas, Bayo Vista, and El Pueblo. Two senior complexes also have active RCs. The Housing Authority has given space at the developments to the RCs to use as offices. All the RCs have elected officers and have established organizational bylaws. iEl Pueblo Residents Council Technical Assistance Grant Application. HACCC staff recently worked on a technical assistance grant application (TAG) to HUD with the RC at El Pueblo. The El Pueblo RC is particularly interested in developing economic alternatives to the local drug trade and organizing residents to take back their community. If successful, the F_1 Pueblo RC will receive $40,000 to complete the legal work to attain nonprofit status, improve its bylaws, survey the residents on service needs, and initiate an intensive training program to meet the identified needs. 6. Student Cooperative Work Program. HACCC has ten paid, part-time student positions located in our offices across the County. The program gives priority to high school and college students who live in public housing or participate in the Section 8 rental assistance program. Students must attend school full-time and maintain a C or better grade point average. Students may not work more than 20 hours a week to avoid interference with their academic requirements. 7. College Scholarship Program. Every year HACCC awards college scholarships to students who live in public housing or participate in the Section 8 rental assistance program. Students who attend community college receive $400; students attending four year colleges receive $850. In 1.993, HACCC aNN.arded nine scholarships. • 3 Child Development Centers Child Development Centers Safe, affordable, and reliable child care is an essential component of any plan to promote self- sufficiency for families. Single mothers cannot work or pursue educational opportunities without it. In light of this, HACCC aims to establish a child development center at each family public housing development. The Authority is close to meeting this goal: eight out of the ten family developments have either a functioning center or concrete plans for one. HACCC developed five child development centers in the past four years and one is in the works. All the centers are on Housing Authority owned land. In addition, there has been a child development center at Bayo Vista in Rodeo for many years. The following is a list of all the child development centers, a short description of each, and an explanation of the sources of funding. Los .A'ogales Modular Head Start Facility, Brentwood. This center was completed in April of 1993 and is located on surplus land next to the newly modernized Los Nogales public housing development. The United Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations uses the center to operate a Head Start Program that serves the greater Brentwood area. The facility is equipped with classroom space, a residential kitchen, and a play yard. A federal Head Start Expansion Grant obtained by the County Community Services Department paid for the center. Las Deltas Child Development Center, North Richmond Completed in March of 1993, this newly constructed 3900 square foot facility was designed to serve infants and preschoolers. The center is being used by the County Community Services Department to support Head Start and infant care programs for the North Richmond community. In addition to ample classroom space, the complex Inas a large play yard, offices, and a kitchen. The County's Community Development Block Grant Program and the County Transient Occupancy Tax provided the primary funding for this center. 50 Silver Avenue Dead Start Center, North Richmond. A residential public housing duplex was converted into a Head Start program center now operated by the County's Community Services Department. Finished in March of 1993, the center has classrooms, a play yard, offices, and a conference room. This center was financed with public housing Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program funds and a federal Head Start Expansion Grant obtained by the County Community Services Department. Bridgemont Child Development Center, Antioch. In August of 1992, HACCC converted a small (900 square feet) unused building into a Head Start facility. It is at the end of a cul de sac neighboring the Bridgemont Public Housing Development. The United Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations operates a Head Start program in the center. The rehabilitation costs were funded by the City of Antioch's Community Development Block Grant Program and public housing Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program monies. 4 • Lavonia Allen Child Development Center, West Pittsburg. The Housing Authority built this center in 1991. Besides its classrooms, office, and play area, this building has a large community meeting room. The County Community Services Department runs a Head Start Program at the center. The County Community Development Block Grant Program and HACCC financed this facility. Bayo Vista Child and Family Center, Rodeo. This center is the oldest operating on Housing Authority property. A Head Start program operates out of the center, which consists of a large auditorium, a kitchen, and an office. : Preschool Coordinating Council, Inc., Pittsburg. The Preschool Coordinating Council, Inc. operates a child development center on a parcel of land neighboring the El Pueblo development for which HACCC has a long-term lease. The center has both infant and child development programs and works closely with the families at El Pueblo. In addition to leasing the site to the Council, HACCC contributed partial construction funds and some money for a recent expansion. Los Arboles Child Development Center, Oakley. This project is in the planning stages. The basic design of the complex is in place and a structural assessment (including geotechnical analysis) has been completed. However, the HACCC has not secured funding for the project. HACCC has submitted an application for partial funding through the County Community Development Block Grant Program. 5 Drug Prevention and Education Programs . Drug Prevention and Education Programs Unfortunately, drugs and drug-related crimes have invaded some communities served by the Housing Authority. The presence of the drug trade can have serious effects on family life in public housing. HACCC is working diligently to rid our developments of drugs and to provide or locate services to help residents to deal with drug-related problems. We want residents who are addicted to drugs to be able to find treatment services, reenter the workforce, and rebuild their relationships with their children. We want kids in public housing to have access to engaging recreational and educational facilities that will connect them to the community-at-large and prevent them from getting involved with drugs. And, we want everyone who lives, works, and visits the developments to feel safe and secure. A brief description of our efforts to deal with drug-related problems is provided below. 1. Project PRIDE. HACCC won over $1 million over four years to fund Project PRIDE -- a comprehensive strategy to eliminate drugs and drug-related crimes at the Las Deltas development in North Richmond. Residents, community leaders, HACCC staff, and police developed the program together to ensure a smooth, coordinated effort. PRIDE stands for Police and Resident Initiatives for Drug Elimination. There is a Project PRIDE Center in a renovated administrative building, which has two large activity rooms and a computer room. Project PRIDE features community oriented policing, youth programs, drug treatment counseling and referral services, and resident empowerment. Connnunity Oriented Policing. The Contra Costa County Sheriff s Department has two Deputies at Las Deltas, Chris Hughs and Phyliss Holloman, who have received specialized training in cultural awareness and community oriented policing. The officers have become an integral part of the community, built community trust in the Sheriff's Department, reduced community fear of crime, and enhanced the quality of life for the Las Deltas Community. Last year Officer Holloman was named Contra Costa County "Officer of the Year," which is an indication of the Sheriff's Department's commitment to the effort at Las Deltas. Youth Programs. Project PRIDE's youth programs include (1) a "Just Say No Club," (2) a satellite club of the Salesians Boys and Girls Clubs of Richmond, which operates a wide range of recreational activities, (3) Girl Scouts, and (4) an after school tutoring service for grades K-12. Drug Treatment and Counseling Referral Servicer. Center staff work to bring needed services to the residents and keep the residents informed on what is available in the surrounding community. Support groups for women and grandparents also meet in the Center. Resident Councils. The residents of Las Deltas have formed a Residents Council, which has elected officers and drafted bylaws. The Las Deltas Residents Council is in the process of obtaining nonprofit status. IIACCC has made units available in the development 6 for the Residents Council office space. The goal of this component of Project PRIDE is to empower the residents to take an active part in their community and to develop a mechanism through which employment opportunities for residents could be developed. 2. City of Pittsburg Police Department Community Policing/Cultural Awareness Center. HACCC is providing a unit in the El Pueblo development to serve as ap on-site Community Policing/Cultural Awareness Center. The program will offer youth educational and recreational activities, anti-drug programs, and cultural awareness events. The program will be operated by a local police officer and community services officers. The program is designed to (1) promote the value of school and education, (2) enhance cultural awareness among the diverse resident population, (3) provide kids with alternatives to drug-related activities, (4) reduce the presence of drugs and drug-related crimes in the development, (5) improve the relationship between the residents and the Police Department, and (6) better the quality of life for the residents and the surrounding community. r Youth Alternative Programs • Youth Alternative Programs It is imperative that the youth in public housing neighborhoods affected by the growing drug trade have easy alternatives to participating in the drug culture and safe havens to experience their childhoods. HACCC is committed to working with residents to bring these alternatives to their communities. HACCC is not the only group to Dave realized this important need. In 1988, as the Authority was searching for successful providers of alternative programs for kids, the national headquarters of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America issued a directive to its membership urging it to develop partnerships with housing authorities to establish programs in public housing developments. Contra Costa's Boys and Girls Clubs have been very receptive to this concept. A description of HACCC's joint efforts with the Clubs is provided below. The Boys and Girls Club of Bayo Vista. HACCC was one of five select housing authorities in the country to get a grant to develop a Boys and Girls Club in a public housing development. The Boys and Girls Club of Martinez in partnership with HACCC established the satellite Club at Bayo Vista. The Authority renovated and significantly expanded a field house at the site to house the Club. The Boys and Girls Club recruited kids and developed a full-range of youth activities. The Salesians Boys and Girls Club of North Richmond. The effort at Bayo Vista was so successful that the Housing Authority decided to replicate the model at the Las Deltas development in North Richmond. As a part of HACCC's Project PRIDE, a satellite of the • Salesians Bo}'s and Girls Club of San Pablo formed at the development and the Housing Authority renovated an old administrative building to accommodate the Club. The Club offers activities and services in six core areas: (1) personal adjustment, (2) citizenship and leadership development, (3) cultural enriclunent, (4) health and physical education, (5) social development, and (6) outdoor and environinental education. 8 • Conclusion HACCC is committed to playing an active role in improving the quality of life of the people we serve. It is not enough to house people. We must help low-income Contra Costans access the services and acquire the skills and tools they need to strengthen their families, achieve economic independence, and become self-sufficient. This report has described the beginning of our efforts to go beyond shelter to provide supportive services to program participants. HACCC staff has worked arduously to leverage HACCC funds with . other sources and will continue to seek out new ideas; programs, and partnerships to expand and improve our "Beyond Shelter Initiatives." • 9