Twenty-two Interim Inc. Clients Find Housing at Innovative New Moon Gate Plaza Apartment Complex in Salinas’ Chinatown

Moon Gate Plaza apartments in Chinatown in Salinas opened in January, benefitting 20 of Interim Inc.’s homeless clients.

Salinas, CA, May 19, 2020 — Moon Gate Plaza apartments in Chinatown in Salinas opened in January, benefitting 20 of Interim Inc.’s homeless clients.

The $40 million housing project, a collaboration between MidPen Housing and the Central California Alliance for Health, is a 90-unit mixed-use housing complex with a particular emphasis on low- and extremely low- income households and the homeless.

The complex connects housing and health services for the highest users of the healthcare system, with 20 supportive apartments set aside for that population and another 20 set aside for clients of Interim Inc., Monterey County’s leading provider of adult mental health services and support. The other 50 apartments will provide housing for other low-income residents of Monterey County.

Through a collaboration of local nonprofit organizations, the ground floor of Moon Gate provides a vibrant space that incorporates arts, health and wellness, culture, and educational programming to serve all Chinatown neighborhood residents.

The complex includes a community room with a kitchen, a courtyard with community gardens, bicycle storage, a library and a multi-purpose room. Interim has an agreement with MidPen Housing for 20 of the units to house homeless clients with mental illness. The tenants for the remaining 70 apartments were determined by a lottery of qualified applicants. Two other Interim clients were chosen for apartments in the lottery.

One of the first residents of Moon Gate was Interim client Junior Rangel, who moved in on March 16 from Interim’s Shelter Cove transitional housing. He says that his studio apartment on the third floor is safe and quiet. He is getting to know his neighbors.

“I like that I have an apartment where pets are allowed. I got a puppy. Her name is Diana and she’s a corgi/chihuahua mix,” said Rangel. “The building has a place where I can walk her and get exercise.”

Since many Moon Gate residents have a history of homelessness, some will need to relearn how to budget their income, how to cook healthy meals, and other skills to live successfully in the community. With an office space on the third floor, Interim counselors will provide individualized service plans, assessments, case management and care coordination for these residents.

“The partnership between Interim and MidPen has been fantastic for the referred residents,” said MidPen Leasing Director Daniel Fagan. “The timely action and follow-up by Interim led to the placement of 20 residents. The MidPen and Interim teams communicate and collaborate regularly to better serve the residents, which in turn will likely lead to stabilized housing for the residents and the community as a whole.”

Financing for the $40 million development was provided by the City of Salinas, the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, the Central California Alliance for Health, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and Bank of America Merill Lynch. Dahlin Group Architectural Planning was the architect and the contractor was Ausonio, Inc. MidPen Property Management Corp. will provide onsite professional property management.

About Interim, Inc.
Interim, Inc. is a private nonprofit organization that provides a unique combination of support services, housing and treatment for adults with mental illness in Monterey County. Services provided include affordable supportive housing, residential treatment, mental health and dual-recovery services, case coordination, therapeutic services, outreach and intensive support for homeless adults, supported education and employment, day treatment and peer support.

Interim Inc.
P.O. Box 3222
Monterey, CA 93942
(831) 649-4522
www.interiminc.org

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.interiminc.org

Gil Basketball Academy Natalie Cortes

When Natalie Cortes first picked up a basketball in the fifth grade, she found even the simple act of dribbling the ball extremely difficult.

Salinas, CA, May 19, 2020 - She almost gave up the sport that first day. But she refused to give up — a trait that became a huge part of the 14-year-old’s personality.

“After many years of practice and determination, not only did I learn how to dribble, but I also learned how to do many other skills, too,” she said.

Once she joined Gil Basketball Academy, she fell in love with the game, but at one point almost had to give it up entirely.

“My parents couldn’t afford me playing basketball in GBA Select because we had too many other things going on,” she said.

So Natalie took it upon herself to email her father’s boss to explain the situation. “Because of that I got sponsored so I was able to play again,” she said.

A freshman at Alisal High School, Natalie lives in Salinas with her parents, 12-year-old brother and two 6-year-old twin sisters.

A 5-foot, 2-inch point guard/shooting guard, Natalie has learned so much from basketball.

“It has helped me gain so much,” she said. “For example, being part of a team for all these years has shown me the value of teamwork, hardwork and determination, and paying attention to every detail. This has helped me in my life to become a better person mentally and physically.”

Through GBA, Natalie has learned the value of education, and her goal is to attend a university on scholarship. Her career choice? “I don't know what it is yet, but one thing I do know is that an education will get me places in the future.”

Natalie credits Gil Basketball Academy for helping her on and off the court.

“Overall, GBA has opened so many doors for me regarding basketball. Thanks to GBA, I was recruited by NCSA (Next College Student Athlete), which I unfortunately didn’t join for many reasons,” she said. “They helped me not only to gain more expertise in basketball, but to become a better person.”

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
https://gilbasketballacademy.com/