City Council OKs Funding to 2 Homeless Agencies

The City Council has granted funding to two local homeless agencies on the condition that they meet criteria recommended by the city’s Social Services Commission.

The criteria include offering shelter only during inclement weather, setting a maximum number of years a person can receive services, reviewing welfare-to-work standards and creating a detailed reporting and evaluation system, said Sal Failla, director of community services.

“The commission wants the city to sit down with these two groups and talk about how these concerns can be addressed, and then funding can be released,” said Failla, who expects a meeting to be held next week.

The Social Services Referral Center and the Whittier Area Interfaith Council will receive $8,000 and $5,000, respectively.

“I am glad the city is taking an interest in us,” said homeless services advocate Bea Comini. “The homeless are not ours. They belong to everybody. Most of the Whittier homeless have roots in Whittier.”