CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Homeless community members in Clearlake now have a transitional housing hub along with increased community support, thanks to the opening of Hope Center, a joint project of Adventist Health Clear Lake and Hope Rising and funded through $4.6 million in state and local grants.

The center, a project years in the making, is located at 3400 Emerson St. in Clearlake.

It’s the first permanent facility dedicated to finding solutions for Lake County’s homeless residents.

Hope Center was celebrated in a ribbon-cutting held on Nov. 12, as Lake County News has reported.

Adventist Health reported that the first patient arrived last week.

Hope Rising Lake County will operate Hope Center, which will house 14 men and six women enrolled in services that lead to sustainable permanent housing.

The facility involves local health systems, county support services, nonprofit organizations, and other organizations in a united effort to serve individuals in the community experiencing homelessness.

Eight employees will staff Hope Center, including a program director, case manager, program assistants, licensed social worker, and drivers. There will be on-site management 24 hours a day.

In addition to dorm-style rooms provided on opposite ends of the building, the center includes a commercial demonstration kitchen with a dining area, communal living room, one-on-one support services rooms, a group meeting/conference room, and shared offices for service providers.

"Hope Center is committed to helping, sheltering, and taking care of our neighbors experiencing homelessness," said Allison Panella, executive director of Hope Rising, at the ribbon-cutting celebration on Nov. 12. "We are opening our doors to endeavor what we set out nearly three years ago to do; to restore a sense of hope to a community that has been battered by floods, fires, power outages, and now a pandemic."

Adventist Health Clear Lake is thrilled to help lead this transformational project, David Santos, president of Adventist Health Clear Lake, said at the socially distanced event.

"Hope Center allows us to live into the reality that we can lift ourselves from something that haunted our city, community and county,” Santos said. “Today, we reached a tipping point. With our combined forces and support, Hope Rising is changing Lake County and creating a model to impact and change the health outcomes for rural counties across our country. What we are doing today can have a monumental impact on generations to come."

The facility is the first low-barrier transitional housing hub in Lake County, offering comprehensive services for vulnerable members of the community experiencing homelessness. The center’s wraparound services are provided through a team approach that focuses on building individual strengths to help them achieve goals and improve well-being.

A $2.4 million Homekey grant for the center was provided by the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, working hand in hand with the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The grant will fund staff and services at Hope Center for two years.

"I am thrilled to see leaders of Lake County receive this significant grant to house 20 homeless clients as they prepare for permanent housing," Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry said at the celebration. "This facility is the result of all of us coming together, building and maintaining strong partnerships and working to improve our community one step at a time."

Adventist Health Clear Lake's Project Restoration House served as a pilot program for Hope Center.

Established in 2017 by Adventist Health Clear Lake’s Community Wellness director, Project Restoration House provides intense case management and services to support clients who are homeless.

It has substantially reduced the high utilization of emergency medical services, police encounters, 911 calls, and incarceration days resulting in $1.2 million savings in the first year.

"As we look at the work that is going to happen at Hope Center, a love ethic is at the center of it," said Shelly Trumbo, Well Being executive for Adventist Health. "There is nothing soft about standing alongside a human being and supporting them in their transformation. That is the work that will be happening here, and it is strong, and it is solid. It leads to trust where organizations lock arms together for justice and equity."

Hope Center received an initial $1.3 million grant from Partnership HealthPlan of California to begin building the facility. Additional funding by the City of Clearlake, Lake County Continuum of Care, Lake County Behavioral Health, and Adventist Health Clear Lake helped complete the building's construction.

Adventist Health Clear Lake owns the property and will continue to maintain it in compliance with the 15-year grant agreement regarding the property's use. "Adventist Health truly wants to lead the way in convening this concept of transforming the health and wealth status of Lake County," Santos said.

Following the ribbon-cutting, attendees planted a garden at the front of the building, then were invited inside for tours. "Consider the roots you are planting here today," said Panella, "the seeds of hope and a continued connection to our community."

More information about Hope Center is available at Hope Rising at www.HopeRisingLC.org.