Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives (AHHA) Receives Grant for Mobile Hygiene Station
Humboldt County’s housing action and advocacy group AHHA (Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives) has received two grants to cover the costs of a new custom designed mobile hygiene station and one year of Pop Up Care Center operations that will serve the area’s roughly 1,500 unhoused residents.
Featuring three full restrooms with sink, toilet and shower in each, one of which is fully ADA compliant, the mobile hygiene station will also be used as a pop up care center, where essential items like clothing and food will be distributed, and services like haircuts, nail care, and connections to other forms of support and assistance will be offered.
“AHHA hopes the mobile hygiene unit will be able to provide a minimum of 50-60 showers a week while operating at least 2 days a week serving people experiencing homelessness where they are. A mobile unit will ensure that individuals have access to basic and necessary hygiene services, which are not only essential to personal health but also help reduce stigma and facilitate participation in community,” says Nezzie Wade, a founding member and President of AHHA.
While homelessness is often considered an urban issue, rural Humboldt County actually has 5 times the number of homeless per 100,000 in the population than the nation, which is even higher than metropolitan homeless hotspots like San Francisco. The grant for the mobile hygiene station was provided by the State of California’s Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) in recognition of the crisis situation in the North Coast region. AHHA has also received a Coast Central Credit Union Community Grant that will be applied to purchasing the Mobile Hygiene Station and Pop Up Care Center.
“AHHA is extremely grateful for this funding. It will not only directly benefit the folks who will get to use the mobile hygiene station, but it is also a huge stepping stone for AHHA as an organization. Securing this grant illustrates our commitment to addressing homelessness and our ability to use the myriad skills our board members have to turn plans and ideas into tangible results,” says AHHA board member, Jessica Smith.
AHHA has committed volunteers comprised of retired public service, non-profit, and social service professionals, faith-based community members, business owners, environmentalists, students, and active working members of the community that will help to support the operations of the mobile hygiene station. Eventually, the hygiene station will reside in one of the community village sites which AHHA is actively pursuing; it will continue to serve the community on a daily basis.
Local support is necessary to maximize the beneficial effects of this mobile unit for our neighbors now living in harsh conditions--recently described as a violation of basic human rights by a UN Human Rights reporter visiting the Bay Area--and our entire Humboldt community. Donations of clothing, food, hygiene products as well as volunteer services are welcome at this time and into the future. AHHA intends to build more community bridges and continue expanding opportunities to further help the local homeless community.
We are at a critical moment both locally and across the country as rising housing, healthcare and climate crisis costs force homelessness into new segments of the population and compound social conditions in both urban and rural areas. Community support right now will help to make sure Humboldt County implements sustainable and humane solutions for our most vulnerable citizens and protect our entire community in the years to come. For more information and to support AHHA please call (707)-267-4035 and visit ahha-humco.org.
Humboldt County’s housing action and advocacy group AHHA (Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives) has received two grants to cover the costs of a new custom designed mobile hygiene station and one year of Pop Up Care Center operations that will serve the area’s roughly 1,500 unhoused residents.
Featuring three full restrooms with sink, toilet and shower in each, one of which is fully ADA compliant, the mobile hygiene station will also be used as a pop up care center, where essential items like clothing and food will be distributed, and services like haircuts, nail care, and connections to other forms of support and assistance will be offered.
“AHHA hopes the mobile hygiene unit will be able to provide a minimum of 50-60 showers a week while operating at least 2 days a week serving people experiencing homelessness where they are. A mobile unit will ensure that individuals have access to basic and necessary hygiene services, which are not only essential to personal health but also help reduce stigma and facilitate participation in community,” says Nezzie Wade, a founding member and President of AHHA.
While homelessness is often considered an urban issue, rural Humboldt County actually has 5 times the number of homeless per 100,000 in the population than the nation, which is even higher than metropolitan homeless hotspots like San Francisco. The grant for the mobile hygiene station was provided by the State of California’s Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) in recognition of the crisis situation in the North Coast region. AHHA has also received a Coast Central Credit Union Community Grant that will be applied to purchasing the Mobile Hygiene Station and Pop Up Care Center.
“AHHA is extremely grateful for this funding. It will not only directly benefit the folks who will get to use the mobile hygiene station, but it is also a huge stepping stone for AHHA as an organization. Securing this grant illustrates our commitment to addressing homelessness and our ability to use the myriad skills our board members have to turn plans and ideas into tangible results,” says AHHA board member, Jessica Smith.
AHHA has committed volunteers comprised of retired public service, non-profit, and social service professionals, faith-based community members, business owners, environmentalists, students, and active working members of the community that will help to support the operations of the mobile hygiene station. Eventually, the hygiene station will reside in one of the community village sites which AHHA is actively pursuing; it will continue to serve the community on a daily basis.
Local support is necessary to maximize the beneficial effects of this mobile unit for our neighbors now living in harsh conditions--recently described as a violation of basic human rights by a UN Human Rights reporter visiting the Bay Area--and our entire Humboldt community. Donations of clothing, food, hygiene products as well as volunteer services are welcome at this time and into the future. AHHA intends to build more community bridges and continue expanding opportunities to further help the local homeless community.
We are at a critical moment both locally and across the country as rising housing, healthcare and climate crisis costs force homelessness into new segments of the population and compound social conditions in both urban and rural areas. Community support right now will help to make sure Humboldt County implements sustainable and humane solutions for our most vulnerable citizens and protect our entire community in the years to come. For more information and to support AHHA please call (707)-267-4035 and visit ahha-humco.org.
