$275,000 Grant for Roseville Homeless Shelter

Placer County Supervisors Approve Grant for The Gathering Inn

The Placer County Board of Supervisors agreed to grant $275,000 to The Gathering Inn, a Roseville-based homeless shelter program. The board voted 4-0 to provide the funding; District 4 Supervisor Kirk Uhler was absent at today’s meeting. The funding will support shelter services for the next year, through June 2018.

“The Gathering Inn has taken on the challenge of homelessness and shown leadership,” said District 1 Supervisor Jack Duran. “They’ve been a great partner of ours as we work to address this problem in a more global fashion.”

The Gathering Inn was founded in 2004 by a group of local ministers and offers year-round sheltering and day programs. Operating under a nomadic model, more than three dozen local congregations provide overnight shelter and food at their facilities, while Gathering Inn staff oversee transport, scheduling and other logistics. Day programs – which Placer County also helps support – connect clients with services ranging from substance abuse and mental health treatment to life skills.

The county contributed $150,000 to The Gathering Inn last year, after the organization faced a decline in donation dollars along with increases in operating costs. The Gathering Inn also receives funding from cities and other sources. Based on budget estimates, the organization needs an infusion of $275,000 to remain open this year.

In approving this funding, supervisors stressed the importance of continuing to work with cities and other local agencies throughout south Placer and the region to secure additional support. The Gathering Inn is working to address concerns raised in the 2015 Marbut report, a regional study on homelessness – with representatives pointing to increased collaboration with community partners and a heightened emphasis on measurable outcomes.

The Gathering Inn reported that it served 445 individuals in 2016, averaging 70 people a night. Of those, 274 clients were engaged in services including case management; 257 accessed medical care through an onsite clinic; 115 got health insurance; 103 increased their income through employment or by accessing benefits; and 133 gained access to housing.

“We can point to real data and successful outcomes,” said board chair and District 5 Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery. “I want to express my gratitude for that.”