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Rep. Sánchez delivers $2M for SGV homelessness programs
San Gabriel Valley Feb 16, 2023
Rep. Linda Sánchez and officials from San Gabriel Valley cities announce a $2 million federal grant to address homelessness. | Photo courtesy of Rep. Linda Sánchez/Twitter
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Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Whittier, met Wednesday in Montebello with officials from San Gabriel Valley cities to deliver $2 million in federal funds for programs aimed at reducing homelessness in the region.
The funding Sánchez secured for San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments will be used to launch a workforce development program for adults and at-risk youth from disadvantaged communities who are experiencing homelessness, according to Sánchez’s office.
The funds’ priority will be for residents of Montebello involved with the city’s Operation Stay Safe program. The program will connect participants with paid work experiences and supportive services, with the goal of “placing them on a pathway to economic security,” according to Sánchez’s office.
Among the attendees at the ceremonial check presentation were SGVCOG President and Monrovia Mayor Becky Shevlin, SGVCOG Second Vice President and La Verne Mayor Tim Hepburn and April Verlato, SGVCOG third vice president and Arcadia mayor pro tem.
The event took place at the Operation Stay Safe headquarters, 2000 Flotilla St. in Montebello.
The Operation Stay Safe site opened May 18 and has 30 tiny home units for Montebello residents who are unhoused, according to the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust. The facility features on-site supportive services provided by Volunteers of America Los Angeles, three meals a day for residents, case management tasked with connecting residents to additional services and eventual permanent housing, laundry, restroom and shower facilities, 24/7 security, a privacy fence and secured entry.
“I am grateful for the hard work by Representative Linda Sanchez in securing funding for much needed workforce development,” Verlato said in email to Arcadia Weekly. “I am proud to be involved with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments doing so much to address homelessness in the San Gabriel Valley. The SGVCOG will be putting these dollars to work, providing job training, resume workshops and connecting unhoused to resources that will lead them to a path to self-sufficiency.”
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