Successful Program Serving Housing-Vulnerable Seniors Moving from Lake Merritt Lodge to New Location

OAKLAND, CA - City staff and leadership have successfully found a new location for an important, successful program facilitated by the City to provide emergency shelter services to more than 80 medically fragile and/or age 60 and older unsheltered residents.

The program has operated out of Lake Merritt Lodge for several years and is generally viewed as one of the most successful shelter programs funded by the City, with a return-to-unsheltered homelessness rate under 10%. Program services are provided by Housing Consortium of the East Bay, under a contract with the City.

Recently the property owner at the Lake Merritt Lodge location notified the City they are preparing to sell the property, which prompted an urgent need to find the program a new home. In May, City Council approved a recommendation by staff to explore a location at Jack London Inn. After stalled negotiations, the City located an alternate and preferred site.

The new location of the program is a newly constructed building at 1888 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, with capacity for 88 clients and an onsite manager. The City Council approved a cost of up to $7.9 million to allow flexibility to explore several locations, but the expected annual cost of the program at 1888 Martin Luther King Jr. Way is approximately $6.5 million. The grant agreement with HCEB covers all costs including the cost of a master lease, property operations and wrap-around services. The overall program is supported by several funding sources, including the City's General Purpose Fund and the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program (HHAP). While these funds are available in the current budget, the additional year extension is contingent upon funding availability in the FY 2025-27 Biennial Budget.

A lease agreement between HCEB and the property owner has been executed and the program is preparing to move residents to their new home over the next several weeks.

"Our service mission here is to find a solution that lets us keep delivering this successful program, caring for our vulnerable community members and keeping them on a supported track out of being unsheltered, and I am proud of the team that has worked so hard to deliver on that mission," City Administrator Jestin Johnson said.

"These are the kind of solutions Oakland needs more of," said Councilmember Carroll Fife, who represents District 3, containing both the current program location and the new location. "Our community wants to see us taking action to care for our seniors and our medically vulnerable neighbors, and I'm grateful to the residents and faith community leaders offering their support, and to the funders, service providers, and staff working hard to deliver this successful program."

The City also thanked the nearby Greater St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, which has been a supportive neighbor in this effort to house and support vulnerable community members.

"I'm glad to see we're helping with homelessness, because when we move unsheltered people and clean up the streets, we need to ask where do they go?" Bishop Joseph Simmons said. "We need to provide them with programs like this to give them dignity and support to get back on their feet."