Let’s make everyone count!

The Stanislaus Community System of Care (CSOC) needs volunteers to conduct the 2023 Homeless Point-in-Time (PIT) Count.

The PIT Count is an unduplicated count of all people in Stanislaus County experiencing homelessness. It provides a "snapshot" of what homelessness looks like on a single day of the year.

The Count is scheduled for Thursday, January 26, 2023. The deadline to register is January 6, 2023.

The Count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to estimate the number of Americans without safe and stable housing. It’s a requirement to receive federal funds to reduce homelessness.

Volunteers will work alongside the County’s Homeless Outreach and Engagement Team as they fan out across the Stanislaus County. They’ll engage with local homeless individuals and their families to complete surveys and help distribute care packages.

The registration process is easy. You can register online at https://stanislaus.pointintime.info/. You'll be required to choose a training session and select the city where you’d like to work.

Other options to register: By phone (209) 558-2961 or e-mail CSOC at csoc@stancounty.com. You can also scan this QR code from the camera app in your smart phone.

The 2023 Homeless PIT Count is organized by the Stanislaus Community System of Care (CSOC) which includes local governments, non-profits, and homeless providers.

In partnership with the cities of Ceres, Modesto, Oakdale, Riverbank, Turlock, and Waterford, Stanislaus County has contracted with TPH Architects to develop complete, pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) building plans that are going to be available, free of charge, for property owners living in any of the partner jurisdictions; this is to help streamline the permitting process and reduce the costs for property owners to add ADUs to their properties.

Senate Bill (SB) 2, signed by Governor Brown in 2017 was aimed at addressing the state’s housing shortage and high housing costs. The legislation directed that the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), use 50 percent of the revenue in the first year to establish the Planning Grants Program (PGP). The PGP program was not competitive and all localities that met the eligibility requirements were funded.

All the cities decided to utilize a portion of their PGP grant funding to partner with Stanislaus County to go out for a request for proposal to contract with an architect to develop the ADU plans that are now being made available free of charge to residents.

ADUs are an accessory beyond traditional construction in California homes providing a solution for additional housing needs for families. ADUs, also referred to as in-law units, are being built to address the lack of housing that meets people’s needs for affordability and proximity to job rich environments.

ADUs tend to be significantly less expensive to build than new detached single-family homes because they are not being built on new land and can provide as much living space as apartments and/or condominiums. These free plans have been designed to provide adaptability in meeting typical lot sizes and configurations found throughout Stanislaus County. There are seven different options in a variety of sizes and exterior finishes creating a desirable living space for those who would seek to occupy an ADU.

To take advantage of this opportunity, we encourage property owners should contact a representative in their jurisdiction of residency to obtain the pre-checked building plans, free of charge, and to get more information about the process of constructing an ADU on their property.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUS) - Planning & Community Development - Stanislaus County (stancounty.com)

The California Mortgage Relief Program is expanding to provide tax payment assistance to help you get caught up. The program uses federal Homeowner Assistance Funds to help homeowners with past-due property tax payments.

The program is free. The funds do not need to be repaid and there is no cost to apply.

"This will be a big help to homeowners who are delinquent on property taxes due to COVID-19," stated Donna Riley, Stanislaus County Treasurer-Tax Collector. "Eligible homeowners could receive up to $20,000 to cover past due property tax payments."

Riley added that there are more than 2,800 homeowners currently behind in their property taxes in Stanislaus County. To receive funding, applicants must meet specific criteria related to financial hardship caused by the pandemic.

To find out if you qualify for the program, please go to CaMortgageRelief.org. You can also call 1-888-840-2594.

The California Mortgage Relief Program is part of the state's Housing is Key initiative.

Stanislaus County is partnering with the Stanislaus Community Foundation to support local nonprofit organizations. Stanislaus County developed the Community Benefit Contribution Program to provide a mechanism for the Cannabis Businesses in Stanislaus County to give back to the community. In 2018, the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors designated a portion of funds raised through the Community Benefit Contribution Program to support youth-serving organizations in Stanislaus County. In 2022, the Stanislaus County Chief Executive Office contracted with Stanislaus Community Foundation to manage the Community Benefit grant administration process. Organizations can apply for funding online starting October 4, 2022.

"We’re pleased to extend the original intent of these community benefit dollars on behalf of the local cannabis industry, to area nonprofits,” said Jody Hayes, Chief Executive Officer for Stanislaus County. “We are excited to support youth programs and youth-serving nonprofits.”

501c3 nonprofits serving youth in Stanislaus County in good standing with the IRS are encouraged to apply as well as schools located in Stanislaus County. Grant requests may not exceed $50,000. Applying for a grant does not guarantee a funding award.

“Youth leadership and youth activities are incredibly important to all of us,” said Marian Kaanon, President and CEO of Stanislaus Community Foundation. “Our hope is that this flexible funding will extend the capacity of local youth-serving nonprofits to build on existing programs.”

Stanislaus Community Foundation is managing the application process on behalf of Stanislaus County. Foundation staff will screen and score applications based on a grant program rubric and present its recommendations to Stanislaus Community Foundation’s Grants and Programs Committee, which must agree, by majority vote, on the final grant approvals. Stanislaus Community Foundation will present recommended grant approvals to the Stanislaus County Chief Executive Office for ratification by the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors in December 2022.

Grant applications will be accepted between Tuesday, October 4, 2022, and Monday, October 31st, 2022, at 5:00 PM PST. Award notifications will occur in November, and award disbursements will occur in December 2022. For more information, visit: StanislausCF.org

About Stanislaus Community Foundation Stanislaus Community Foundation (SCF) is a place-based funder serving the residents of Stanislaus County. Since 2002, SCF has been a catalyst to transform local resources into common good through strategic philanthropy and bold leadership. The vision of Stanislaus Community Foundation is to create a community of choice where people can live, work, and thrive. To support this vision, SCF nurtures partnerships and grows charitable resources to advance the common good in Stanislaus County. For more information, please visit https://www.stanislauscf.org/

Beginning August 24, 2022 through February 22, 2023, all StanWORKs lobbies will be closed every Wednesday for six months.

StanWORKs Call Center hours will also be reduced from 8:00 am to noon, every Wednesday, during the same six-month period.

"It was a difficult decision but a necessary one," stated Christine Huber, CSA Director. "The pandemic and staffing challenges have dramatically impacted our ability to meet federal and state mandates in processing applications for our safety net programs."

Huber says a 50% increase in customers seeking in-person services combined with a backlog of applications also contributed and there aren't enough staff to provide the level of service needed to properly support the community.

CSA recommended the temporary closure which was approved by the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors at its August 16, 2022 meeting.

The closure does not affect other county departments such as Workforce Development and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program or partner agencies that share lobbies with StanWORKs.

Like other departments and public agencies, CSA is experiencing worker shortages with a record number of employee resignations. The pandemic has placed an additional strain on the workforce with lost hours and employee leaves of absence.

The closure will enable CSA clerical and Family Services Specialist workers with adequate time to process applications for programs such as CalFresh, CalWORKs, and MediCal within state requirements.

Technology is also expected to help fill the gap during the lobby closures as it did during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Customers can apply for, and access and renew benefits through self-serve websites, mail, fax, on-site drop boxes, and phone.

To improve application processing timeliness, CSA is also redirecting resources to meet the demand, streamlining staff training, offering overtime to increase production, and leveraging clerical assistance from other divisions to assist with case assignments.

For more information, please visit the CSA website at CSA Main

Stanislaus County is working to enhance service to the community through a new mobile app and chatbot.

Those who have used the former GoRequest mobile app to submit service requests, report issues to staff virtually or find information should uninstall the GoRequest app and download Stan Connect. The revamped custom app is available now in the Apple and Google play stores where mobile apps are found.

The newly designed app has more robust offerings to serve residents more effectively. It is a communication tool that will allow users to easily connect with government services and their County elected officials, access county news, job opportunities and information, as well as submit concerns or requests for service. The new app will better serve on the go residents and save time when conducting County business, an attractive feature to people who prefer not to visit County offices in person or call for service.

“This is a great new tool for Stanislaus County residents who want convenience when connecting with County government,” said Board of Supervisors Chair, Vito Chiesa. “With most all of our services at your fingertips in a well-organized, user friendly mobile app, we are ready to serve you wherever you are,” he added.

Stanislaus County has used GoRequest as a Government Outreach platform since 2006. The new and improved mobile app will more easily facilitate interaction between residents and the County. Benefits include property tax information and resources, the ability to request vital records, view pets available for adoption, find public health clinics, social services and access most County services from the convenience of a mobile app.

The app, which partners with the County’s web based Customer Relationship Management (CRM), allows users to efficiently enter and track service requests online. When a new request is entered into the system by a resident, the software automatically routes the request to the appropriate individual within the County organization. The employee receives an email notification indicating the need to resolve a request. Each request has a pre-assigned “Expected Close Date,” which is given to the customer via email. Customers are notified when the project is completed. Although all app users must register to submit and track their requests, submissions can be made anonymously. Anonymous users will not receive email confirmation or notification of completion.

The County has also incorporated a chatbot, “Ask Stan,” into the website as an added efficiency to customers, helping users find information quickly on the website. The chat bot is currently available to residents on a trial basis through a three-month pilot program. Web users will see Stan at the bottom corner of the screen when visiting StanCounty.com. Stan will improve in functionality based on users’ feedback which can be provided directly through the chat bot. Feedback is encouraged throughout the process.