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Nevada County accepts $2.5 million state grant to help house people in Brunswick Basin encampments
Summary
The Board accepted $2,508,623 from the state Encampment Resolution Funding Program to provide targeted housing navigation, landlord liaison services, rental assistance and cleanups focused on the Brunswick Basin. County officials said the grant pays for three years of operations and is intended to speed people from interim to permanent housing.
The Nevada County Board of Supervisors voted June 25 to accept a $2,508,623 Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF) award to target homelessness in the Brunswick Basin corridor.
Phoebe Bell, behavioral health director, told the board the state program is intended to reduce impacts of encampments and to create pathways to stable housing. Program manager Bridal Phillips (presenting the item) described an 18-month-to-3-year set of services that will fund a landlord liaison team, incentives to bring units online, mitigation funds to lower barriers for landlords, rental assistance while clients wait for housing choice vouchers, and post‑housing supports to sustain tenancies.
"This allows us to provide longer term rental assistance for those folks while they wait to get that subsidy," Bridal said, noting the county’s prior Behavioral Health Bridge Housing program had created interim capacity but struggled to move people from interim housing into permanent housing quickly enough.
Supervisors asked whether the city of Grass Valley was involved; staff said they had coordinated with Grass Valley PD and community partners and would partner with Hospitality House for outreach and campsite cleanups. Several public commenters said they supported a focus on long-term housing solutions and requested data showing how many people the grant is expected to help.
The board voted to accept the grant and authorized the behavioral health director to execute the contract when it is finalized, with staff saying a request for proposals will be issued to find providers for the landlord liaison and other services.
Why it matters: The ERF award brings dedicated funding aimed at helping people move from camps into housing while addressing public‑safety and sanitary impacts of encampments. Officials said the intent is to relieve pressure on interim beds and create ‘flow’ into permanent options.
Next steps: Staff will release an RFP for the landlord liaison work and begin implementation when the state contract arrives.
Sources: Public presentation and Q&A at Nevada County Board of Supervisors meeting, June 25, 2024. Direct quotes are attributed to staff presenters in the meeting transcript.
