County wants to own transition home

Escrow on an Orland apartment facility that would house people with mental health issues is being extended so the county can work out funding for it.

The county is in the process of purchasing the Second Street apartment building for $285,000. It would provide homes for people who might become homeless because of their mental health or to those transitioning from facilities back into the area.

Health Services Director Scott Gruendl said the county wants to buy the six-apartment building outright with a $409,000 grant from the state, and use the remaining money for building improvements and maintenance.

However, housing officials want the money to be a loan while the county would prefer it be a grant, Gruendl said.

So his office is negotiating around the process that is designed for counties such as Los Angeles, Gruendl said, instead of rural counties like Glenn.

Tenants would pay the county rent, and some qualified tenants already live at the complex. The rental payments would go toward ongoing maintenance of the building.

Each one-bedroom unit has a living room, kitchen and bathroom, and there is a shared laundry room, county officials said.

This is an "historic" effort, Gruendl said, with the county taking more control of the process instead of the state.

Currently, Glenn County pays $1,200 to $6,000 a month to house these individuals in board and care facilities — some out of town.

But this program allows the tenants to pay the county, he said.

Supervisor John Viegas said the apartment building is in a great location for this purpose and he wanted to know how long the leases might last.

Gruendl said it is considered permanent housing for as long as the tenant wants to be there, but as people move out, others would move into it.

"If we lose the funding, where do we go?" Supervisor Leigh McDaniel asked.

Gruendl said if the funding is gone, the project would likely not be completed.

But he hopes to negotiate a final agreement, which is why the escrow was extended.

The complex would not be a locked facility, Gruendl said, would house only Glenn County residents and the county would provide support services to help them maintain their independence.

This discussion came prior to a public hearing on Glenn County's Mental Health Services Client Housing Plan before the supervisors on Feb. 21.

Gruendl planned to submit the plan to the state and return to the Board of Supervisors for authorization to purchase the property once the funding is released.

Contact Rick Longley at 934-6800 or rlongley@tcnpress.com.