STOCKTON, Calif. — St. Mary's Dining Room and the City of Stockton unveiled plans Monday to build hundreds of temporary shelter units for the unhoused community in Stockton.
The shelter will be built in a space that currently serves as a parking lot at the corner of West Sonora and South Lincoln streets in Stockton. San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chair Robert Rickman said the shelter will serve as many as 600 people per year.
St. Mary's Dining Room is partnering with the City of Stockton, San Joaquin County and health providers on the project, known as the Pathways Project. 300 temporary shelter units will be built at the site. Half of the units will be for individuals and the other for couples. Officials say they will also accommodate pets, which are not typically allowed at most congregate shelters.
"This is the beginning of ending unsheltered homelessness in Stockton," said Petra Linden, CEO of St. Mary's Dining Room, which is one of the largest homeless service agencies in San Joaquin County.
St. Mary's is known for providing meals and services to those experiencing homelessness.
The CEO said each resident will be allowed to stay in a single or double unit for up to 6 months with the goal of getting them into permanent housing. They will also have access to resources, including social services and medical and dental clinics.
"It's not just the housing, but the supportive services that can really help people raise themselves out of homelessness," said Donald Wiley, president/CEO of Dignity Health St. Joseph Medical Center.
For Maria Castellanos, the Pathways Project means a safe place for the unhoused. She was homeless for a few years and now works for St Mary's.
"Having Pathways now, it's going to mean safety and security, not only for single women, but also for couples, people with mental health issues, people who aren't safe. This is going to put them in a better place," she said.
Castellanos said having a place like this would have meant a lot to her when she was homeless.
"It would have been a big help in my--not only my addiction, but my mental health as well, my feelings of self worth, my feeling of not being scared, lonely," she said.
The project is expected to be completed by late 2024.
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