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Housing Authority
Community invited to celebrate new San Bernardino Head Start
The grand opening of a new Head Start preschool will mark a new beginning for a San Bernardino community.
San Bernardino County Preschool Services Department will celebrate the Arrowhead Grove Head Start Grand Opening at 1151 N. Crestview in San Bernardino from 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15.
The new site, made possible through a partnership with the San Bernardino County Housing Authority, replaces the former Waterman Gardens Head Start. The community has had a major revitalization, complete with new housing. The ribbon cutting will serve as an opportunity to reintroduce Head Start to the community. The event will include a tour of the new preschool and a chance to meet staff. There will also be free refreshments, activities and a resource fair for members of the community.
“We are excited to be a part of this new chapter for families in the community. This preschool will not only benefit some of our county’s youngest residents, but also their parents who will be eligible to participate in our Policy Council and programs such as our online high school diploma program and apprenticeship program,” said Director of Preschool Services, Phalos Haire. “This grand opening is not only a new beginning for Preschool Services, but our entire community.”
The Head Start preschool classes are free to qualifying families. Along with school readiness, Head Start includes nutrition, health, mental health and disability programs. Head Start also offers a number of programs for parents such as a job training apprenticeship program that can lead to employment opportunities and a free online high school diploma program for those who did not complete high school.
In addition to the new San Bernardino site, Preschool Services has Head Start locations throughout San Bernardino County and are enrolling for the 2019-20 school year. Contact Preschool Services at (888) KIDS-025 for more information and access applications online at http://hs.sbcounty.gov/psd/.
The Preschool Services Department administers the Federal Head Start and Early Head Start programs, California Department of Education State Preschool program, as well as the Child and Adult Care Food Program in over 60 locations throughout the County of San Bernardino. It is doing its part to help the community achieve the Countywide Vision by ensuring residents have the resources they need to provide the necessities of life to their families. Information on the Countywide Vision can be found at www.sbcounty.gov/vision.
County’s homelessness efforts impress new governor
From left, County CEO Gary McBride, Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Josie Gonzales, Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman and Gov. Gavin Newsom listen to presentations outlining the county’s efforts to combat homelessness.
San Bernardino County officials and their community partners impressed California’s new governor this week with the various strategies being employed to combat homelessness in America’s largest county.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was so inspired by the “big ideas” at work in San Bernardino County that he will work with the state Legislature to set aside funding in the state’s upcoming 2019-2020 budget to enhance support for the county’s efforts.
“This seems to me to be an extraordinary opportunity,” Gov. Newsom said. “I have the privilege of this moment to convince my legislative colleagues that this is a wise investment.”
“I am going back home re-energized,” he continued. “I want to look to redirect some of that money in a much more robust way. … That’s missing from my budget, but it doesn’t have to be on May 1. We can figure out ways to bolster that effort.”
San Bernardino County’s innovative approaches to address homelessness – which have received accolades at the state and national levels – focus on collaboration, creation of available dwelling units, whole-person healthcare, jobs, and technology. Efforts are coordinated by the county’s Interagency Council on Homelessness, which is chaired by Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales and includes representatives from many cities within the county, and a variety of county departments, non-profit organizations, and other service providers.
During the meeting with Gov. Newsom on April 16, 2019, at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center McKee Family Health Center in San Bernardino, county and private sector partners outlined some of the county’s approaches toward ending homelessness, including:
- Managed healthcare to ensure newly-housed people achieve and maintain physical and behavioral wellness to help prevent them from reverting to homelessness and relying on more costly emergency room care for their basic needs.
- The conversion of hotels and motels to provide homes for the homeless. The Housing Authority of San Bernardino County and its private sector partners are in the process of converting motels in San Bernardino and Victorville into housing for homeless people. Tod Lipka, president and CEO of Step Up said there are 75 hotels and motels in the region that could be converted into housing if the state could provide funding for rent vouchers.
“There are wonderful things happening at the local level,” Gov. Newsom said. “We’ll have your back and we’ll be providing an unprecedented amount of resources, and we’re here for the long haul.”
Affordable housing units for veterans available in Loma Linda
The Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino and the San Bernardino County Community Development and Housing Agency invites military veterans to apply for spots on the waiting list for 36 brand-new 2- and 3-bedroom apartments at Loma Linda Veterans Village.
Apartments come with refrigerators and dishwashers, while the community includes a club room with kitchen, basketball court, swimming pool, volleyball court, laundry facilities, computer lab and on-site management. Mobility-impaired households will have priority for nine units designed for their needs and hearing/sight-impaired households will have priority for five units designed for their needs.
Income and other restrictions apply. Applicants will be referred from the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino waitlist. Once qualified by the Housing Authority, applicants who are offered a unit will receive a Project-Based Voucher rental subsidy. Tenant rent will be up to 30 percent of the total household gross income as determined by the Housing Authority.
Applications are available for download at the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino website, http://ww2.hacsb.com/, or for pickup at any Housing Authority office.
Up-to-date information is available by calling 909-992-0931. Click here for more information about Loma Linda Veterans Village.
Government Works: County providing employment, training and skills
During the first quarter of 2013, the County’s Workforce Investment Board entered into an agreement with the County’s Housing Authority to provide employment and educational services to families eligible under the housing assistance program.
The program has served a total of 123 low-income residents who receive career counseling, employment services workshops, job referrals and job skills enhancement services. The overall program goals are to assist eligible individuals with finding and retaining work, improving skills, becoming self-sufficient, and contributing to the economic stability of San Bernardino County.
On June 12, 2014, the National Association of Counties recognized the Housing Authority and Workforce Investment Board partnership with an Achievement Award in the category of Employment and Training. The award was just one of 31 San Bernardino County received from NaCo this year for our innovative programs, surpassing its own record of 27 NaCo awards in 2011.
This is an example of how Government Works.
