Health and Human Services staff returned to the board with a revised package for a proposed Homekey (Homekey Plus / Prop 1–funded) housing project the county and city are exploring, including a commitment to prioritize veterans in tenant selection.

Sarah Kallard, Health and Human Services, and Madeline Bryan, housing coordinator, said partners had agreed to prioritize veterans for the project and that the tenant selection plan would document the prioritization and could include set-aside units. "In advance, we would be prioritizing veterans," Bryan said, and staff said they are exploring linking set-aside units to the state's veteran voucher program.

Supervisors questioned a template MOU in the packet, noting the draft appears to be an example from another county and would need substantial tailoring for Siskiyou County. One supervisor said he could not support moving forward unless the developer or co-applicant (Danco) agreed to finance the in‑kind services the county estimates at about $548,000 annually. "If Danco needs this type of service to be able to develop this housing, then Danco should be paying that $548,000 … to the county to expand the services to provide those services to this housing project," the supervisor said.

Staff said the $548,000 estimate is for services the county already provides and that the amount was included in the NOFA submission as required by the granting agency. They emphasized the board would have the opportunity to review and approve any final MOU and tenant-selection plan if the application is successful.

Several supervisors said housing is needed across the county and expressed support for prioritizing veterans and for pursuing available grant funds, but others reiterated concerns about staffing supportive services and the long-term county obligations if the project proceeds. One supervisor said he would not support new housing projects until the county addresses local gaps in mental‑health and substance‑use treatment capacity.

No final contract or MOU was executed at the meeting. Board members asked staff to document prioritization in the application materials, to work with the state on possible voucher set-asides for veterans, and to return with a tailored MOU and enforceable language for prioritization and service commitments if the project advances.