We get 7-10 calls per week from homeless families with nowhere to go. These are not our clients, but simply people trying to find a place to live. I asked Larry Wilson, our housing advocate, about this and he said,
All the shelters in the East Bay have at least a 45 day waitlist, and for the affordable housing sites the waitlists are 6 months to two years or longer. The families that call here are desperate and often don’t know where to look for help. Although the resources are way too few, we try to help connect them with what they are looking for or at least point them in the right direction.
Poverty and homelessness are a major issue for many Contra Costa County residents. At Hope Solutions, we will continue to respond to the needs as best we can. We are now serving over 330 families through our programs and responding to 350-500 individuals per year over the phone.