Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin discusses plans for homeless shelter at Motel 6
–Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin issued a new video on Wednesday to address new plans for a homeless shelter at Motel 6, 1134 Black Oak Dr., Paso Robles.
The Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo recently partnered with People’s Self Help Housing and ECHO in securing a $15 million State Project Homekey grant to purchase and renovate the 122-room motel. The group plans to convert 63 rooms to permanent, low-income housing; 50 additional rooms will be leased to ECHO to provide emergency housing for people experiencing homelessness in Paso Robles. Escrow on the property is expected to close as of Nov. 10.
“This project will reduce homelessness in Paso Robles,” Martin says in the video. “It will be the most significant effort to address this problem in our city in a decade.”
It is not a city project, but the city does have an agreement with the organizers. The operating costs of the project will be covered by grant money and state funds for the first two years.
For the past few months, the city has been funding a homeless camp along the riverbed on the south end of town at Borkey Flats for a cost of about $20,000 per month. The mayor said that level of operating expense is unsustainable for the city.
Watch the mayor’s complete comments in the video above.