Since 2008, the Morongo Basin ARCH organization has provided food and shelter to those in need. The recent loan and donation from the city of Twentynine Palms highlights their ongoing funding challenges.
In a post-pandemic world, with rising rents, high gas prices, and staggering inflation, the food and sheltering services provided by Morongo Basin ARCH fill a widening gap of need. ARCH – which stands for “Aligning Resources Challenging Homelessness” – is a 501C3 non-profit that is a saving grace for many. ARCH President Astrid Johnson stated simply: “We help people get – and stay – housed.”
ARCH is primarily funded through the state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program (HHAP) but with rising costs and deeper needs, the organization must seek other resources.
Last year, a federal program called ERAP (Emergency Rental Assistance Program), helped people behind on their rent due to covid. The program ended in 2021 and the state continued it until March, so ARCH is getting more calls, but the funding has not kept up.
In July, ARCH was flooded with requests and reached out for help, which is how the loan request was made to the city of Twentynine Palms. (Last month, the city loaned ARCH $50,000 but they will only be required to pay back $30,000.)
“You have to guess on how fast you are spending the money, and not go too far beyond. A request to the county can take a month, 60 days, or up to six months for the paperwork,” said Johnson. “A lot of this is timing – how fast can you estimate what you are going to need and when.”
ARCH helps with “rapid re-housing” – helping people who have money for rent but perhaps not enough to cover the security deposit or first/last months rent. Last April, ARCH also rented a duplex in Yucca Valley for emergency housing to help those who have immediate needs, such as families.
“We could easily spend $20K a month helping people. I’m hearing that more residents are getting eviction notices,” said Johnson. “Deposits and rents are going up. Everything is more expensive.”
Point in Time, an annual count of homeless in the area, took place on February 24 of this year and counted 104 homeless people in the region. However, Johnson warns that this number is far below the reality.
“We know where the apparent homeless are – behind Wal-Mart, under a bridge, in tents, abandoned houses – but you don’t see families doing that. They spend half the month in a hotel and another in their car. They don’t want to advertise it,” Johnson said. “They are not found that easily when we do the count.”
In addition to reaching out to the city of Twentynine Palms, ARCH also appealed to Yucca Valley, Turtle Rock Casino and other local agencies. “If everyone comes through, we will be okay for several weeks. When it comes to the county, we never know the time frame. You must foresee the demand and prepare for funding gaps. We asked Yucca Valley for $10K but that money can only be used in that city. Same for Twentynine Palms, that loan money can only be used for services within that city,” said Johnson.
“Some are into drugs or they’re dealing with mental illness, but some don’t want to be living like that – those are the people we help,” said Johnson. “There is a sifting of the population. Who can we help? Who’s ready?”
To contact Morongo Basin ARCH, call 760-992-1743, email at [email protected], or visit their site at https://morongobasinarch.org
