MHCAN Client Housing Planning Grant

MHCAN Client Housing Planning Grant

It appears likely that MHCAN will receive a SAMHSA grant to begin the planning study for the site where the old Grace Methodist Church used to be. The dream is to put 30 housing units on this site next to the drop in center MHCAN (Mental Health Client Action Network). Bonnie Schell, Director of MHCAN, has been working to get this grant for months.

The SAMHSA process is slow, and it may be another month or two before a confirmation letter is received, but Bonnie says that it looks promising. Some of the aspects of the grant include: visiting a best practice, LAMP, in LA, having many stakeholder meetings with community and business, coming up with funding proposal for NEW Housing for mental health clients supported by a drop-in and using as many consumer employees as possible. In this grant all consumers and family members will be paid and trained in community planning and presenting their case before the folks with $$$$ and opinions. In every meeting there must be 3 consumers for every two non-consumers.

MHCAN is proposing a 99 year lease on the lot at Cayuga and Soquel which is owned jointly by three Methodist churches.

The Web page man and the Administrative Assistant will be consumers. Consumers will be trained to interview other consumers on factors that led them to housing stability and how they would like housing to be designed.

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