California has funded a range of solutions to combat homelessness. In San Bernardino, a new campus combines housing with health and human services to help men rebuild their lives. KVCR's Jessica Greenwell reports.
The long-awaited San Bernardino Community Wellness Campus has officially opened its doors.
The 140-bed transitional housing facility broke ground in early 2024, expanding from an existing 70-bed emergency shelter.
It was made possible through a partnership between Lutheran Social Services Southern California, the City of San Bernardino, San Bernardino County and developer Dignity Moves; funded primarily through a 34.9-million-dollar Homekey grant.
The goal is to improve long-term outcomes for men experiencing homelessness, by addressing both immediate needs and conditions that contribute to instability.
Dr. LaSharnda Beckwith is President and CEO of Lutheran Social Services Southern California.
This is not simply a building. It is a physical expression of what we at LSSSC call integrative, holistic and trauma informed care. A place where a person can find shelter, yes, but also medical care, workforce training, food security, and a pathway to permanent housing. All under one roof. All treating the whole person. Emotionally, spiritually, physically and even financially.
The San Bernardino Community Wellness Campus is one of seven Homekey-funded projects in San Bernardino County. State data show the seven projects will create a combined 497 interim and permanent supportive housing units.
Deputy Director of State Financial Assistance, Jennifer Seeger says the Homekey program has been critical in meeting the administration’s goal of reversing decades of inaction in housing and homelessness.
These investments represent our continued dedication to act with urgency. To address California’s housing crisis head-on. Work that has created immediate and measurable results; with the most recent point-in-time count showing the largest statewide reduction in homelessness in over 16-years.
The San Bernardino campus is the first phase of Lutheran Social Services of Southern California's 10-year initiative to build a network of Community Wellness Campuses across the southland.
Phase Two includes completing the Long Beach Community Wellness Campus and expanding the model into Riverside, Orange, San Diego, and Ventura counties.
For KVCR News, I’m Jessica Greenwell.