More than 61 permanent transitions to housing have been achieved through the program

    Project Roomkey, a partnership between Human Services Agency and Yolo County Health on the local level, has provided 49,244 nights of shelter to around 533 members of the homeless population between March 16 and Nov. 17, averaging to 92 nights per individual, according to a press release published by Yolo County on Nov. 20. 

    “While Project Roomkey was never intended to be a permanent housing solution, the program’s increased stability and access to case management services has resulted in over 61 permanent housing transitions to date […],” the press release reads. 

    Deputy Director of Police Services Deanne Machado said via email that Project Roomkey has helped the local community “[…] by temporarily providing shelter to the community’s most vulnerable, unhoused population.”

    “In the absence of Project Roomkey, these individuals (many of whom are immunocompromised) would have likely continued to live unsheltered on our streets or in a congregate setting of some kind, both of which are particularly hazardous during a pandemic for this population,” Machado said via email.

    Homeless Program Coordinator at Yolo County Health and Human Services Nadia Waggener further explained how Project Roomkey has helped the community.

    “When we house our most vulnerable neighbors, the impact can be felt in our streets, in our hospitals, and in our bottom line,” Waggener said via email. “Project Roomkey (PRK) allows our community to live our Yolo values: serving our elderly and disabled neighbors while creating a safer community. PRK has moved people off the streets and into dignified living conditions where our seniors and disabled clients can receive medical care, case management and rest.”

    Allowing people to access stable, safe living conditions also reduces calls for emergency services and the strain on hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, Waggener explained. 

    District Two Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor noted that Project Roomkey has also allowed California to provisionally satisfy the long-term aim of “functional zero” in relation to homelessness, which means that there were more spaces available than people without houses. 

    “Yolo County has long supported the “housing first” model in serving our unhoused community members,” Saylor said via email. “This model focuses first on stable housing, then provides wraparound services to help clients address their needs, such as applying for benefits and enrolling in treatment services.”

    Saylor explained that the housing first model was also used in 2014 in the Bridge to Housing Program, which provided temporary housing to 53 people in a motel and services to support them. Ultimately, the program was able to find permanent housing for most of them. 

    “We have demonstrated that supportive housing programs can help unhoused individuals transfer to permanent housing and improve their overall quality of life,” Saylor said.

    While participating in Project Roomkey, individuals meet with case workers to decide the next steps forward, such as applying for low-income units, subsidies and affordable apartments, all of which may have long waiting lists.

    “For some, this may involve reunification with family and for others this may mean some sort of independent living setup,” Machado said. “There are some subsidized housing options in Davis, and several former Project Roomkey clients have secured their own apartments through subsidies.”

    Machado said that some individuals “[…] return to homelessness due to a variety of factors,” while others enter the Davis Emergency Shelter Program run by the Interfaith Rotating Winter shelter after leaving the program. Others also go to Room and Boards or to homeless shelters such as Davis Community Meals/Housing.

    Most elderly clients live on a fixed income—which averages around $910 monthly—making it necessary to find apartments under $1,000, according to Waggener. Clients depend on subsidy programs through Yolo County Housing and other low-income housing options.

    “Our staff is working to connect as many current PRK clients to affordable or subsidized apartments before the end of the program,” Waggener said.

    Yolo County and its cities are currently working to determine long-term options and what can be done next, such as a new permanent shelter in Woodland, according to the press release.

    “Project Roomkey is an example of the ‘Yolo-way,’ serving the people of Yolo County through a collaborative partnership among public, private, and non-profit agencies,” Saylor said. “I’m grateful to the team of staff and volunteers who helped serve our unhoused community members in this capacity.”

 Written by: Shraddha Jhingan — city@theaggie.org

On June 15, the Blueprint for a Safer Economy was retired, ending local restrictions on businesses and removing capacity limits

In a news statement published on June 11, the City of Davis announced that City Hall reopened on June 15 for the public. The public will be able to access City Hall and reach staff at certain hours, according to the news statement.

    “City Hall will open to the public with the hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,” the news statement reads. “General business hours remain 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to contact staff via telephone and email. Welcome back to your City Hall!”

    Barbara Archer, the communications & customer service manager for the City of Davis, explained via email what the reopening of City Hall entails.

    “City Hall is now open to the public from 8 am to 4 pm,” Archer said. “At this writing, public meetings for City Council, commissions, and 2 x 2 (joint meetings with other agencies) are still on Zoom, but that is subject to change.”

    People are able to visit City Hall for things “such as building permits, encroachment permits, fire permits, camp registration, utility bill payments and business licenses,” according to the news statement.

    The news statement also reiterates that “until further notice,” public meetings such as the ones that Archer mentioned will still be held in a virtual format on Zoom.

    Archer also explained what it has been like dealing with city matters remotely for the past year.

    “City staff really rose to the occasion during the pandemic,” Archer said. “Staff got creative with online programming. Customers were able to get some permits online. The City maintained its excellent level of customer service throughout the pandemic.”

    Archer added that the City of Davis was able to work with various local entities and create relationships with them.

    “The City worked closely with the County, UC Davis and the school district on the Healthy Davis Together project and other COVID-related policy matters and formed lasting collaborative relationships,” Archer said.

    The news of City Hall reopening is in line with Yolo County announcing in a press release on June 15 that activities and business would be fully reopening “in alignment with the retirement of the State of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.”

    This means that “the color-coded tier system for counties” has been removed. 

According to the press release, starting June 15, there will be no more restrictions on capacity limits. Those who wish to travel should follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

There are also no more restrictions on capacity limits, as well as “physical distancing” for “attendees, customers and guests,” though “workers on the job must” continue to practice physical distancing. 

More information regarding the use of masks, and restrictions for schools, workplaces or employers, events and more can be found in the press release.

Public Health Officer for Yolo County Dr. Aimee Sisson further discussed restrictions in the press release.

“With our local case rate very low and the majority of Yolo County residents vaccinated, now is an appropriate time to loosen COVID-19 restrictions,” Sisson said.

Though cases are lower compared to those during previous stages of the pandemic, Dr. Sisson highlighted that the pandemic is not over yet.

“While the Blueprint framework is ending today, the pandemic is not,” Sisson said in the press release. “The virus that causes COVID-19 continues to circulate in Yolo County. Those who are not yet vaccinated remain at risk of infection and should continue to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 by wearing masks indoors.”
Written by: Shraddha Jhingan — city@theaggie.org

Infection rate and testing rate in Yolo County spiking due to the Delta variant 

On Aug. 12, Yolo County reported six new COVID-19 deaths. This increase in deaths is accompanied by a rise in case rate.  

    Yolo County Public Information Officer Frank Schneegas said that not all the deaths occured recently.  

“[…] We recorded six new deaths, and one of those deaths was from April,” Schneegas said. “The other five occurred between the 26th of July and the third of August.”

Schneegas noted that people who have been vaccinated can also contract COVID-19.  

“Yes, vaccinated people can get COVID-19 and yes, vaccinated people in Yolo County have gotten COVID-19, but I think it’s almost a bit of a statistical trick almost, as the proportion of vaccinated people increase, the number of vaccinated people who get COVID-19 will also increase,” Schneegas said. “This was always going to happen because no vaccine is 100% effective, but they are still very effective, though that doesn’t mean no one will contract COVID-19.”

Schneegas said that the vaccine still provides protective benefits.  

“​​The people who are dying from COVID-19 and who are being hospitalized from COVID-19 are overwhelmingly unvaccinated,” Schneegas said.  

Yolo County’s COVID-19 dashboard does not currently display the number of vaccinated people who have contracted COVID-19. Schneegas explained that the county has sought that information but has not yet received it.  

According to UC Davis Health Director of Business Development Tod Stoltz, Healthy Davis Together has collected some statistical information regarding the number of COVID-19 cases who have been vaccinated.  

“We don’t necessarily know the vaccine status of everybody that is coming in to test, but when we call our positive cases to notify them that they’re positive, we ask if they’re vaccinated, and about 25 to 30% say yes,” Stoltz said. “About 25% of those who are testing positive are vaccinated. That’s higher than I think we expected. It’s not outrageous compared to what we’ve seen or read about around the world about the Delta variant having breakthrough infections.”

Healthy Davis Together also collects information on COVID-19 variants, Stoltz explained.  

“Everybody who tests positive, we immediately genotype to see which variant they are,” Stoltz said. “We’re pretty much all Delta all the time. Delta variant has absolutely taken over in Davis.”  

The number of tests administered by Healthy Davis Together has also been on the rise, fueled by people returning from vacation, according to Stoltz.  

“I think a lot of people are starting to use our testing to help create a sense of peace of mind after perhaps a risky event or risky activity,” Stoltz said.    

Written by: Rachel Shey — city@theaggie.org

Controversy over the presence of Gandhi statue continues to put local Gandhi supporters and protestors at odds

At the Davis city council meeting on Jul. 20, the city council unanimously voted on a modified design of the Gandhi statue that was recommended by the Gandhi Statue for Peace Committee. 

    Davis City Manager, Mike Webb, explained the vandalism of the original statue that occurred on Jan. 27. 

    “[The original statue was] damaged by vandalism beyond repair,” Webb said. “The statue was cut from its base and significantly damaged.”

    The original statue featured Gandhi in a standing position while the new design features Gandhi in a seated position. With this new design, the city hopes to thwart future acts of vandalism. 

California Advocacy Director of Hindu American Foundation, Easan Katir, noted his reaction upon hearing the news. 

“I think the council did what [they were] supposed to do, which is to reflect the attitudes and beliefs of their constituents,” Katir said. 

    During the Davis city council meeting on July 20, the council listened to various public comments from the community. 

    Gowri Kowtha, a Yolo County resident, submitted a public comment regarding his approval of the statue’s reinstallation. 

    “Mahatma Gandhi believed in peace, not war, and his statue in Davis is important to the entire Indian community,” Kowtha said. “We appreciate your attention to this matter.”

    Khan Foreman, a Yolo County resident, submitted a public comment regarding his disapproval of the statue’s reinstallation. 

“I am opposed to replacing the previous Gandhi statue with a new one,” Foreman said. “I believe that this controversial issue needs to have more discussion. There’s a lot of concerns around Gandhi as an individual around things like anti-blackness and misogyny and other forms of bigotry, as well as questions about his tactics.”

    Webb explained how the City of Davis accepted the statue as a deed of gift in 2016 during the Davis city council meeting. 

    “That deed of gift placed some certain responsibilities on the city in the acceptance of that gift,” Webb said. “[These responsibilities included]—but [were] not limited to—taking reasonable precautions to protect and preserve that artwork in gratuity, to ensure that it is placed where it can be viewed by the public, not permit it to be defaced to the best of the city’s ability and also not sell or dispose of the work and then to make all possible efforts not to remove the art from the city’s collection once it was accepted.”

    Webb provided further insight regarding the history of the statue leading up to its reinstallation.

    “Since the installation, there have been a myriad of local gatherings at the statue, both in celebration of and some in opposition to Gandhi,” Webb said. “Since that installation, there have also been three different instances of vandalism.”

    The third vandalism occurred on Jan. 27 when the statue “was cut from its base and significantly damaged,” Webb said. 

    Webb explained how the city was obligated to replace the statue. 

“Installing a replacement statue is consistent with the city’s deed of gift and our contractual commitment to preserve and protect the statue,” Webb said. 

    Davis Mayor Gloria Partida addressed concerns during the city council meeting regarding the replacement statue due to the moral controversy of Gandhi as an individual. 

    “I would be really interested in having a conversation about moving the statue to a different location because of some of the concerns around security,” Partida said. “I am concerned about this being in such a prominent location when there is such a controversy and when there is an obvious displeasure from a segment of our community that feels a reminder of injury when they look upon this statue.”

    Partida emphasized the Davis community’s emphasis on inclusion. 

“The work he has done is indisputably important,” Partida said. “We pride ourselves on being a community that is inclusive and incorporates all the considerations of all the people that live here. The Sikh community obviously has issues with Gandhi, and I just can’t believe that we would completely ignore that.”

Partida addressed the controversy regarding the Gandhi statue and Gandhi in general. 

“I think it is important for us to acknowledge that there is some controversy when there is controversy,” Partida said. “If the community wants to have something that points out that we have controversy, I think that that’s something we should follow.”

Katir added a final note regarding the importance of the Gandhi statue. 

“I think it’s wonderful that here in the middle of California, we can have a reminder that there once was a person who freed several nations through nonviolent means,” Katir said. “That is an elevation for all of mankind to not resort to war and violence but to do things more peacefully. That is what we could use as a model going forward for the rest of history.”

Written By: Jelena Lapuz — city@theaggie.org