$9M in federal funds to propel capital campaign for new shelter
A $9 million infusion of federal funds will jump-start a $40 million capital campaign to build a state-of-the-art, full-city-block shelter in Bakersfield for women and families who are experiencing homelessness or have been abused.
The funding comes at the behest of Rep. David Valadao, who secured it last week with the passage in Congress of the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development bill. The $9 million for The Open Door Network is part of $55 million Valadao secured for projects throughout the 22nd Congressional District.
The money will allow Open Door to break ground on land it owns at 529 Dolores St., bounded by Chico, Kern and Tulare streets in south Bakersfield, expanding its capacity by 65% from 230 beds to 380.
The excitement in Open Door CEO Lauren Skidmore’s voice was palpable Saturday: Such a facility will break generational cycles of poverty and homelessness and lead women and their children toward sustainable lives.
“This project is going to truly transform clients and families who are experiencing homelessness and provide important services on-site, such as child care, after-school programs, workforce development and health care services,” Skidmore said. “This project is necessary to reduce homeless families throughout Kern County.”
It’s not just about a bed; it’s to be a place with services much like those Open Door currently offers — but more.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
The Open Door Network — then known as the Bakersfield Homeless Center — acquired the land for the new facility a few years ago via a private donor. The site was selected due to its
proximity to the county’s Department of Human Services facility on California Avenue, coupled with its walkability, accessibility and lack of disruption to neighbors and businesses. It’s zoned for the project, and near Open Door’s workforce development site at 1420 Union Ave.
California’s High-Speed Rail Authority purchased the land where the existing East Truxtun Avenue shelter is located in 2019. All alignments and routes considered by the state led straight through the current building. So, The Open Door Network leases the land from the state, and that lease expires in 2026.
Skidmore readily acknowledges the current campus is run-down, and if Open Door’s clients were to stay there much longer, it would need major renovations.
Instead, Open Door hopes to break ground on Dolores Street this summer, proceed with a 20- to 24-month construction process and open in the first half of 2026. The East Truxtun Avenue campus — which is now at capacity — would then be vacated.
While Open Door initially sought $14.8 million in federal funds, Skidmore said that was a “large amount” and Valadao supported it. The $9 million that Open Door will receive in roughly the next six months will propel the critically needed project forward.
“Addressing the homelessness crisis in California is a huge issue, and finding solutions requires us working together at the local, state and federal level,” Valadao said in a statement. “With the support of federal funding to construct a new homeless shelter campus, The Open Door Network will be able to assist hundreds of Kern County families experiencing homelessness. The Open Door Network plays a vital role in helping folks throughout our community, and I’m proud to support their work.”
WHAT TO EXPECT
The Open Door Network is the only shelter in Kern County that supports families and provides specialized services for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault.
All its current services that aim to create sustainability for families will continue, along with more, to include on-site, licensed child care for infants to 5-year-olds, after-school child care, educational certificates, GED preparation and workforce development programs to match people with employers and provide skill enhancement. There will be medical and mental health service providers on-site, with a goal of enhancing services for children who are living through homelessness.
Families will be the priority, Skidmore said, along with some smaller rooms just for women. Additionally, expect an area supported by Dignity Health to be designated for recuperative care for individuals discharged from a hospital who still need some assistance and respite.
There may also be a pet component.
“We are going to do our best to reach our goals,” Skidmore said. “We felt if we were going to ask our community for support, we need to meet all the needs.”
Open Door executive board member and Treasurer Pritesh Patel noted the grave need to “provide a one-stop kind of campus to provide these services and help people get off those streets.”
“The need is substantial,” Patel said Saturday. “We all, irrespective of the part of town we live in, we see more and more homeless individuals.”
He sees the new facility as a “game-changer for this community,” keeping women and their children together, getting them back on their feet, earning money with a roof over their heads.
There isn’t a time limit for how long women can stay, Skidmore said; it depends on the availability of permanent housing.
Bakersfield City Councilman and Vice Mayor Andrae Gonzales said even before the city and lots of others stepped up their efforts to address the rise in homelessness, the precursor to Open Door, along with The Mission at Kern County, were there, providing emergency shelter.
“They really have been the unsung heroes,” Gonzales said. He was clearly excited about the prospect of what he described as a high-quality shelter for families that is “well-built and done right.”
“I have been very impressed with Lauren and the board and her team and their vision for the facility,” Gonzales said. The look and feel of the campus will serve guests and the surrounding neighborhood; rather than an institutionalized look, the plans he’s seen call for a much warmer feel, with environmental design that supports emotional well-being.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Much changed from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic, including construction costs, which grew 167% from an estimated $15 million to some $40 million today. That will require the investment of private and public money. Already $1 million is coming from the city of Bakersfield, and Dignity Health is allocating funds for the supportive care component.
This is where a capital campaign, slated to launch this year, comes in.
“All of us are trying to be solid stewards of every dollar that comes into this process,” said Patel, whose background is in finances. He said raising the necessary funds is a “tall order,” and the $9 million secured by Valadao allows the board to go into the community to do so.
“This is really going to put us on the map with the fundraising efforts,” Patel said, noting the board wants to secure additional financing before a shovel goes in the ground.
Each shelter — from the county’s M Street Navigation Center to its new tiny home village in Oildale, from the city’s Brundage Lane Navigation Center to The Mission at Kern County — serves particular needs, working hand-in-hand to cover them all. This new facility will serve all of Kern County, Skidmore said.
“This was many years in the making,” Skidmore said. “For so many years, we hit so many roadblocks. This is a big deal.”