Construction is underway along South 4th Street in Grover Beach, marking the start of a project to address homelessness in the community.
“We are seeing more and more people falling into homelessness by virtue of the housing cost, and then the challenges around the pandemic, around job regrowth, etc., have exasperated that. A lot of people are still not able to find the income that they had prior to that," said Janna Nichols, Executive Director of the 5Cities Homeless Coalition.
Kristen McCullough was one of the many unhoused people in San Luis Obispo County.
“The first time I was homeless, I think I hit rock bottom,” she said.
Six months ago, after more than a decade of homelessness, McCullough started living at Cabins for Change — the first temporary emergency housing facility built by the 5Cities Homeless Coalition almost a year ago.
Here, McCullough says she found relief from her primary concerns.
“That's what this place really does is it gives you security. You know, your basic needs are met so you can focus on your life and not have to focus on just eating and showering," McCullough said.
Nichols says that Cabins for Change now has a more than 250-person waitlist, underscoring the growing demand for shelters and the need for their newest location on the 900 block of South 4th Street.
“We have seen people falling into homelessness at a greater rate," Nichols said. "We see a lot of senior citizens at risk of homelessness that we didn’t see before."
By January of 2024, what today is just a dirt lot, should have 30 short-term housing units. Nichols says they will be prioritizing homeless residents in the southern part of San Luis Obispo County, especially single women, the elderly and veterans through referrals from partner agencies.
“People come in, they stay about 90 days, work on a variety of issues, and hopefully we get them housed in that time," Nichols said, adding that if residents don't find housing within that time, they will extend their stay until they do so.
The land was purchased for the 5Cities Homeless Coalition by the City of Grover Beach, funded by the American Rescue Act and will be leased for 55 years. The construction will be made possible through contributions from the Balay Ko Foundation.
Nichols says it was a remarkable community effort.
“If you give people an opportunity, they will seize it and they will make change,” she said.
