Bridge to Home has temporarily relocated its homeless shelter operations to vacant land on Pine Street. The owner of the site, Trammell Crow Co. and partner, who are the developers of The Center at Needham Ranch, will allow the use of the site until the new, permanent shelter can be constructed on Drayton Street.
“This has truly been a community effort in helping our most vulnerable neighbors,” Michael Foley, executive director of Bridge to Home, said in a prepared statement. “We are grateful to Trammell Crow Co. for stepping up and providing the land necessary to house our shelter operations until the new facility can be completed. I also want to thank Camelot Moving and Storage, all of our volunteers, the College of the Canyons Civic Engagement Committee, the PLACE Team and our amazing staff at Bridge to Home.”
For the past year, shelter operations have been located at the city of Santa Clarita’s Newhall Community Center. This larger facility allowed for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the six modular units that were at the Drayton Street site, along with four additional units donated by the Saugus Union School District, are all located at the Pine Street site. This new configuration of 10 buildings provides enough space to meet public health requirements and will house the shelter until the new building is completed on Drayton Street.
“We are happy to be able to provide a place that helps Bridge to Home continue to provide the resources, services and shelter to those in Santa Clarita who are experiencing homelessness,” said John Balestra, a principal with Trammell Crow Co.’s SoCal-Los Angeles office. “Our partnership has established strong roots in the Santa Clarita community, and we are proud of the contributions we are making in the creation of a major business park that will generate many hundreds of local employment opportunities for area residents. We strongly believe in the importance of neighbors helping neighbors.”
The permanent shelter facility at the Drayton Street site was approved by the city Planning Commission on March 16 and construction is anticipated to get underway in the next couple of months. A capital campaign is underway to help raise funds for the project.
“This project really speaks to the heart of what the Santa Clarita community is all about,” said Bridge to Home Board President Tracey Carpentier. “We are blessed to have so many people who truly believe in helping their neighbors and in the mission of Bridge to Home. From the support of the city who allowed us to use the Community Center and helped fund the move, to the volunteers who helped make it happen, to Trammell Crow Co. and team for providing us a new home as we anxiously await the permanent shelter – our community has really stepped up to help out.”
If you are interested in volunteering at Bridge to Home or donating to the capital campaign, visit btohome.org.
