Shelter proving a bargain
San Benito County’s new shelter is proving more cost-effective
than emergency housing in local motels while offering more
comprehensive services as well.
Since the San Benito County Winter Shelter for the homeless
opened its doors on Dec. 19, it has housed an average of five
people per night, according to shelter supervisor Leigh Dietz.
Shelter proving a bargain
San Benito County’s new shelter is proving more cost-effective than emergency housing in local motels while offering more comprehensive services as well.
Since the San Benito County Winter Shelter for the homeless opened its doors on Dec. 19, it has housed an average of five people per night, according to shelter supervisor Leigh Dietz.
The average cost to operate the facility is $25 per night per person including showers, donated meals and beds.
That’s a bargain compared to a night’s stay at a basic local motel, which charges $60 per night after taxes. In addition to a cheaper operating cost, the shelter also plans to offer a host of assistance programs for its visitors – such as free medical, mental health, legal and rehabilitative services.
Hollister’s shelter, operated by the San Benito County Homeless Taskforce, is located at the migrant labor camp on Southside Road. Meals are donated by various churches in the county that each take turns on a rotating basis.
Each evening, around 6 p.m., after the county transit has finished service for the day, homeless men and women are picked up in downtown Hollister and delivered to the shelter. Once there, they are checked in, given dinner.
Lights out is at 11 p.m. Everyone is up by 4:30 a.m. the next day for breakfast and so they can catch the first shuttle of the day back to town.
Gilroy’s Armory, the current winter shelter for that area, sees a large volume of users, and may provide a glimpse at what Hollister can expect to see in the future. The facility sees an average of 150 visitors per night and has an operating cost of $2.50 per night per person, according to Ragan Henniger, assistant director of development and communications for the Emergency Housing Consortium Lifebuilders, which finances the Armory.
EHC Lifebuilders is also currently working to build Gilroy’s first full-time shelter. No social services are currently available at the Armory, but Henniger said that they are working to see that they are available after the full-time shelter opens its doors.
