Today, BACS was thrilled to welcome California Governor Gavin Newsom visited to our Vulnerable Unhoused Hotel in Pittsburg, Contra Costa County for a statewide budget update. The new budget will dedicate significant resources for capital/acquisition and services to counties and cities. Governor Newsom also updated the state on COVID-19, reinforcing his commitment to our unhoused community members.
Governor Newsom chose to come back to BACS after he visited and made an historic announcement last year about his prioritization of resources to the unhoused community – and came back to see us again today, a year later, to hold true on his commitment to see the resources he committed in action.
BACS’ Vulnerable Unhoused Hotel in Contra Costa County ramped up in less than a week, and currently is home to 170 community members experiencing homelessness who are at-risk of COVID-19. BACS quickly pioneered this new model for our community members, in partnership with the City of Pittsburg and Contra Costa County, and will be part of the vision of ensuring these community members do not go back to the streets after their stay.
During this pandemic, we have all learned the value of our homes – there is no “shelter in place” without shelter.
Jamie Almanza, MBA, CEO of BACS says “Once again, Governor Newsom has demonstrated his steadfast commitment to a vision where no Californian sleeps outside. Bay Area Community Services, an agency that works tirelessly and fearlessly everyday throughout the Greater Bay Area to end homelessness for our community, symbolically hosted Governor Newsom a second time in a year – and that means something to our Agency and the community at large – his leadership, vision, and budget commitments will mean that thousands of people, who came inside to these hotels due to COVID, will not be pushed back to the street. BACS is grateful and endorses this plan.”
People experiencing homelessness are some of our most vulnerable community members. It is a challenge to maintain good hygiene, or social distancing. It is hard to source masks – even when BACS and other organizations give them out – and have enough masks or be able to keep the masks clean and effective.
After Governor Newsom’s visit to the Housing Fast at the Henry Robinson last year, it was an honor to share the expanded work we are doing to respond to the pandemic. BACS is doing “whatever it takes” to uplift our community during this crisis.
BACS appreciates our close partnership with the leadership of Contra Costa County, who have taken swift and decisive action to implement Governor Newsom’s safety policies for the State of California.
