MCCAC Throws $4 million Life-preserver to Community During Pandemic
By Cole Goodwin
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council presented their 2021 annual report to The Dalles City Council Monday, February 14th. The report revealed that Mid-Columbia had provided over $4 million in services, housing, rent, utility, and bill pay assistance to community members in Wasco, Sherman, and Hood River Counties.
MCCAC shared that it had brought in an additional $1.5 million in 2021.
Kenny LaPoint, Executive Director of Mid-Columbia Community Action Council
Kenny LaPoint said Mid-Columbia Community Action Council attained $4 million in funding in 2021, which allowed for assistance to more than 4,000 community members - that was a $1.5 million increase over 2020, he told City Councilors. Much of the funding came via state and federal funds for COVID-19 related issues, such as housing.
“A lot of funds went to landlords,” he said, noting $1.5 million was paid out to help people who needed assistance in paying their rent.
Overall, LaPoint said MCCAC had a $6-million dollar budget in 2021, and a good portion, about $2 million, went toward staffing and supporting their team.
“We went from a staff of nine in 2020, and we are approaching twenty-seven people right now,” he said.
LaPoint said that digital infrastructure had greatly improved access to services.
In 2021 MCCAC provided 1,300 people with housing assistance and paid $934,679 to landlords.
LaPoint said that MCCAC had more than doubled the number of shelter nights in 2021.
LaPoint thanked The Dalles City Council for their support of The Dalles shelter, which had faced an uncertain future early on in 2021 due to zoning of the property on which the Shelter sat.
“On the shelter side of things we really increased the number of shelter nights,” he said.
MCCAC went from providing 7,0000 nights of shelter in 2020 to being able to provide over 20,936 nights of shelter in 2021.
LaPoint said that MCCAC had served 81 houseless individuals in 2021, of which MCCAC was able to transition 21 into permanent housing.
“Something really worth noting is that the non-congregate shelter model that we utilize was set up to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. And I’m happy to report that we didn’t have a single person test positive for COVID-19 in 2021,” said LaPoint.
Before: A video still shows Austin, Stephanie and Megan at The Dalles Non-Congregate Homeless Shelter.
After: A video still shows the happy trio enjoying having transitioned into permanent housing.
Lapoint shared that MCCAC had expanded capacity for Veteran programs in 2021.
MCCAC provided services to 18 veteran households in 2021 through their Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program. In 2021 MCCAC placed five Veteran households into permanent housing and prevented the eviction of three Veteran households. In addition, they housed ten veteran households in the Hamilton Apartmentments.
MCCAC has also added an additional case manager, which will allow them to serve 18-20 more Veteran households.
Utility and Weatherization Programs are also on a roll.
In 2021 MCCAC served 2,713 people with $1,067,818 in bill pay assistance. Forty-six point four percent of participants were Native, People of Color, or Latinx.
In 2021, seventeen homes were weatherized, improving home energy efficiency and resulting in overall healthier homes. Seventy-six percent of households served were Latinx community members.
At the end of the MCCAC Annual Report, The Dalles Mayor Rich Mays had high praise for the organization and for LaPoint in particular.
“I think you’ve done great work, and I applaud you for it,” said Mays.
LaPoint shared that a Navigation Center was on the Way
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council is also pushing toward the construction of a $5.8 million navigation center to provide housing and services in a single location for those experiencing houselessness, behavioral mental issues, addictions, and other debilitating issues.
Read CCCNews Story about it here.
Plans for the MCCAC Navigation Center.
"It feels like the cavalry is coming,” Colleen Ballinger told Councilors on Monday, Feb. 14. “Due to rising rents, there is no long-term solution for the unhoused.”
Ballinger sits on the board of St. Vincent De Paul Ministry, which operates a warming shelter at 315 W. Third Street. She said staff are being pushed to their limits to address the houseless situation in The Dalles. She said addiction is more challenging, and there are not enough public restrooms, and clients are dealing with chronic mental illness.
“They are experiencing soul-crushing pain,” she said. “They have no coping skills, and it can become a volatile situation. St. Vincent de Paul volunteers and staff feel as helpless as the clients do.”
