PRESS RELEASE
City of Porterville
291 N. Main Street
Porterville, CA 93257
For more information contact:
Yuriko Velarde, Administrative Analyst
yvelarde@ci.porterville.ca.us
January 18, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEETING OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN PORTERVILLE TAKES PLACES AT CITY HALL
A strategic planning meeting of community partners to address homelessness in the Porterville area took place at Porterville City Hall on Wednesday, January 12, 2023. Approximately forty (40) participants attended, representing the County of Tulare, including Tulare County Board of Supervisors Chair, Dennis Townsend, City of Porterville Mayor, Martha A. Flores, and Councilmember Raymond Beltran. The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen partnerships and to cohesively adopt realistic goals and measurable outcomes to address and reduce homelessness in the Porterville community.
City staff presented Point in Time Count data from June 2022. The Point in Time Count provides service agencies and local governments a snapshot of patterns and trends of the homeless community throughout Kings and Tulare Counties, which helps the agencies apply for funding and secure the proper tools to meet those needs. To find out more about Point in Time, visit: Point In Time — Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance (kthomelessalliance.org). Porterville Police Chief, Jake Castellow and Police Captain Dominic Barteau also provided an overview of the newly formed Special Methods and Resources Team (SMART), in addition to providing a summary of the successful partnerships which have been formed to assist individuals experiencing homelessness connect to housing and resources.
The meeting participants strategized and identified goals like securing housing units to increase the feasibility of applying for additional funding and having measurable outcomes.
Participants also had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the 2023/24 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Action Plan. The community can participate in the CDBG Action Plan by completing a survey or participating in a community meeting scheduled for February 16, 2023, at 291 N. Main Street, Porterville, CA. More information can be found on the City’s website or you may participate in the survey by following this link: https://forms.gle/89foZXFoGWkJwPj17
The meeting demonstrated how agencies throughout Tulare County are partnering on addressing the challenges of homelessness in Porterville. If you would be interested in volunteering to assist in canvassing the city for the 2023 Point in Time Count, please contact, housing@ci.porterville.ca.us.
