SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KCBS RADIO) – A new $53 million homeless services center is opening its doors on Monday in downtown Santa Rosa.
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Officials hope the three-story 48,000 square-foot building will become a model for other similar service centers nationwide.
The Caritas Center, run by Catholic Charities, features around 200 hundred shelter beds, a homeless drop-in center, and family support services.
The new hub is meant to replace the other outdated facilities operating throughout the city.
"But what I’m really anxious about and excited about is that the system, the homeless system at Caritas is actually collaborating more, much more than it ever has before," said Santa Rosa City Councilmember Tom Schwedhelm.
The facility also houses the Nightingale Program, which is also run by Catholic Charities, and provides beds for hospital-referred patients experiencing homelessness, such as those who are ill or recovering from an injury and need care, but are not in dire enough circumstances to be in the hospital.
"Those people who are shelterless, who are leaving the hospital, rather than just going back out into the streets – which is not very healthy – right now I think we’re able to serve 17 beds," said Schwedhelm. "This is going to now upgrade to 38 beds."
And this comes not a moment too soon as the city continues to grapple with homelessness.
"It's been a very challenging time with what’s currently going on with the economy – even some of the effects of the Tubbs Fire," he said.
There's going to be a second phase, of long-term housing, that will be built on the same campus as the facility that’s still under construction.
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