Bay City News
Contra Costa County has transformed a vacant office building in San Pablo into 54 micro-unit apartments for homeless adults with disabilities.
El Portal Place, at 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 health care.
"El Portal Place is an innovative project connecting people in desperate need with quality housing and services to improve their health," Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, whose district includes San Pablo, said in a statement. "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 is the first built by the county specifically for residents who meet federal criteria for chronic homelessness, meaning they've been unhoused for a long period of time and have disabilities preventing 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 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."
The project is funded by Measure X and the state's Homekey program.
Measure X is Contra Costa's half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2020. It contributed $5.2 million toward the project, to go 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.
The county's point-in-time survey of homelessness in January estimated 2,843 people experience 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.
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