Additional assistance will soon be available for Humboldt County and Rio Dell residents impacted by the December 2022 earthquake. The County of Humboldt has facilitated an agreement between Arcata House Partnership (AHP), Changing Tides Family Services and the Humboldt Eel River Valley Long-Term Recovery Group to provide disaster case management services to residents experiencing earthquake-related displacement.
Initial funding for disaster case management services will be provided by the Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation (HAF+WRCF), who have designated $1.2 million from the Disaster Relief, Recovery & Resiliency Fund for nonprofit organizations, tribes and government entities helping Rio Dell and Humboldt County residents who have been displaced by the earthquakes.
“Our shared priority is to end earthquake-related displacement for our residents. Access to local disaster case management services will not only move our recovery efforts forward, but it also ensures our community is better prepared to help those impacted by disasters in the future,” said Humboldt County 2nd District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell. “I would like to express my gratitude to HAF+WRCF for their partnership to help establish this critical resource, and I would also like to thank AHP and Changing Tides for providing this important service to our community.”
Following the Dec. 20, 2022, earthquake and the aftershock on January 1, approximately 25 percent of the City of Rio Dell’s housing stock was deemed unsafe due to earthquake damage, displacing over 67 households. The County of Humboldt, City of Rio Dell, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and local nonprofits, including Pay it Forward Humboldt, have been coordinating efforts with the collective goal of ending earthquake related displacement.
“Arcata House Partnership is committed to connecting Rio Dell and Humboldt County residents who have been displaced by the earthquake with the resources they need to get back in their homes or find new safe and affordable housing,” said Arcata House Partnership Executive Director Darlene Spoor. “We will work with impacted community members every step of the way on their journeys out of displacement.”
Staff from AHP and Changing Tides Family Services are in the process of undergoing training in disaster case management best practices and will begin outreach to community members in need of earthquake-related disaster case management services next week.
A new Disaster Case Management (DCM) Line has been established and will open to the public on Monday, April 17. Community members with inquiries regarding earthquake-related disaster case management services are encouraged to call 707-382-5890. The DCM line will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We are proud to serve Humboldt County households and families who have been impacted by the earthquakes through these challenging times,” said Kerry Venegas, Executive Director for Changing Tides Family Services. “And so grateful for the continued partnership of the county, Pay it Forward Humboldt, and the Humboldt Eel River Valley Long-Term Recovery Group in providing ongoing assistance to those experiencing earthquake-related displacement. Their work has been invaluable to making sure our community has had support all along the way. If you have been displaced by the earthquake, please call the DCM line so we can begin to assess your unique needs and connect you with resources that may be available to help you.”
Earthquake Recovery Line to Close on Friday, April 14
Based on current need, the Humboldt County Earthquake Recovery Line will close on Friday, April 14. The line will remain open on Thursday, April 13 and Friday, April 14 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Since the Humboldt County Earthquake Recovery Line was established in January, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services has assisted over 95 displaced households with temporary sheltering as residents have worked to make necessary safety repairs to their homes or find acceptable alternate accommodations. Of the many households successfully served through the shelter voucher program, only two households remain in the program. All other participants have returned home when safety repairs were completed or secured new, safe residences.
The Earthquake Recovery Program is no longer accepting new applications for temporary emergency shelter. However, community members with red-tagged residences and qualifying, yellow-tagged residences currently utilizing this program may be eligible for shelter voucher extensions on a case-by-case basis depending on the safety of their primary residence.
Beginning Monday, April 17, residents currently participating in the shelter voucher program should call the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services at 707-268-2500 for assistance, and community members with questions about disaster case management services and resources should call the DCM Line at 707-382-5890.
For more information about Arcata House Partnership, visit arcatahouse.org, and for more information about Changing Tides Family Services, please visit changingtidesfs.org.
To learn more about available resources regarding earthquake recovery, visit humboldtgov.org/earthquake.
