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Press release from the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services:

In just over a month, 30 homeless people have already found housing thanks to the efforts of the 30-60 Housing First Campaign in Eureka.

The campaign goal was hit late last week, and that number is expected to rise.

A joint venture between the City of Eureka and County of Humboldt, the campaign was launched Aug. 8, with the goal of housing 30 local homeless people in 60 days.

“The 30-60 campaign demonstrated the power of collaboration between governments, nonprofit organizations, the business community and individuals in implementing a plan to reduce homelessness in Eureka,” said Eureka City Manager Greg Sparks. “We look forward to continued success as we maintain a focus on overcoming barriers to housing.”

The 30-60 Housing First Campaign was prompted by a recommendation from Sacramento-based consulting firm Focus Strategies which specializes in helping communities use local data to develop a systems approach to reducing homelessness.

In March, the Eureka City Council and Humboldt County Board of Supervisors passed a joint resolution to collaborate on homeless issues and adopt the Housing First approach. This model prioritizes rapid placement and stabilization in permanent housing and does not have service participation requirements or preconditions such as sobriety or a minimum income threshold.

“It’s very encouraging how quickly we’ve been able to get people housed,” said Connie Beck, director of the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services. “We’ve established some great relationships with landlords and property managers, and we’re hoping to get more. We’ll continue expanding our list of contacts so we can get people housed. This is a great start. Let’s keep going.”