Contra Costa County has transformed a vacant office building in San Pablo into 54 micro-unit apartments for homeless adults with disabilities, thanks to funding from Measure X and the state’s Homekey program.
El Portal Place, 2555 El Portal Drive, will serve some of the county’s most vulnerable residents with permanent supportive housing that includes onsite services such as case management, community supports, and referrals to services such as behavioral health, benefits assistance, and healthcare.
“El Portal Place is an innovative project connecting people in desperate need with quality housing and services to improve their health,” said Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, whose district includes San Pablo. “We appreciate our strong partnership with the City of San Pablo, and the continued support from Governor Gavin Newsom. These homes help us achieve equity and improved health for county residents.”
The facility will become the first built by the county specifically for residents who meet federal criteria for chronic homelessness, meaning they have been unhoused for a long period of time and have disabilities that prevent them from maintaining permanent housing on their own.
When tenants arrive later this summer, each will live in a micro-unit apartment with bathroom, kitchenette and workspace, in a complex with a community room, courtyard, garden, and dog park. Onsite staff will assist in coordinating a comprehensive range of services for residents, supported by federal and state funding.
“Providing stability for people experiencing homelessness not only lifts up those served, but it also lifts our entire community,” said Federal Glover, chair of the county Board of Supervisors. “El Portal Place is an example of putting public funds to work to do something about homelessness.”
Contra Costa’s Measure X, the 1/2-cent sales tax approved by county voters in 2020, contributed $5.2 million toward the project, to go along with a $16 million grant from California’s Homekey program.
El Portal Place is the second Homekey facility to open in Contra Costa County. A $21.5 million award helped the county build Delta Landing, a 172-unit interim housing site in Pittsburg, in 2022.
“Contra Costa, like all of California, is experiencing a profound housing crisis. Every partnership, collaboration, and new idea to address homelessness is crucial,” said Anna Roth, CEO of Contra Costa Health (CCH).
Contra Costa’s point-in-time survey of homelessness in the county in January estimated 2,843 people experiencing homelessness in the county on any given night, an increase of 19% from the previous year’s estimate. The county increased its daily capacity of temporary and permanent housing beds by 26% during the same period.
People who need assistance with housing in Contra Costa County can call 211 to reach CCH’s CORE homeless outreach team.
Related
- March 25 – San Pablo Approves $5.9 Loan for Affordable Housing Project
- Dec 22, 2023 – Homekey Program Brings Innovative Permanent Supportive Housing to Contra Costa County
