Hayward, California, May 2023 – BACS announced today that it has acquired the St. Regis, a 4.13-acre former retirement facility in Hayward, California, which will become a unique, comprehensive residential and community campus for behavioral health and homelessness services, with a special focus on developing services to meet the additional physical healthcare needs for older adults and other community members with medical fragilities. BACS’ St. Regis will have more than 200 residential beds for permanent supportive housing and short-term recuperative care for individuals exiting the hospital system. Other services will include an on-site medical clinic, and short- and mid- term substance use and behavioral health treatment services in BACS’ signature wellness-based models.

In Alameda County, as in many other communities, the needs for help with behavioral health challenges, homelessness, and substance use far exceed the available resources to meet these community needs. Existing resources are at capacity, and community members instead end up getting disjointed, expensive care at the jail, emergency department, psychiatric care facility, or inpatient hospital. These institutional settings take people further from stability and health in the community, and create repetitive cycles without long-term recovery. The St. Regis will address these urgent gaps, breaking barriers between the behavioral health and homelessness systems of care to interrupt these cycles.

“The St. Regis project is not just about transforming a former retirement center, it’s about transforming the way we think about and provide integrated behavioral health and homelessness services. We refuse to accept the status quo, where thousands of people are left without the care and support they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives,” says Jamie Almanza, MBA, CEO of BACS. “At BACS, we are leading a revolution in community mental health and housing, and the St. Regis is just the beginning. We want to create a seamless experience for those seeking help, and are currently building the future where this is possible.”

This groundbreaking project is made possible by historic state investments in behavioral health and supportive housing infrastructure, including $19.4 million from the California Department of Social Services’ Community Care Expansion Program (CCE) with additional local support from Alameda County Measure A-1 funds, the City of Hayward, and the Eden Health District. BACS will be providing services in partnership with the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency Office of Homeless Care and Coordination and Behavioral Health departments. Site rehabilitation is already underway, and BACS continues to work with local and state officials to access the additional resources needed to make the St. Regis a true beacon of hope and healing for our community.

“We believe that housing is health care and homelessness not only exacerbates, it creates more health problems that impact mental wellbeing,” says Colleen Chawla, Health Care Services Agency Director. “Today’s announcement is another important milestone in the County’s goal to end homelessness, and vision for all residents in Alameda County to live healthy and fulfilling lives, supported by services that surround and support individuals struggling with physical and behavioral health problems. We are proud to be a part of the collective effort to house Alameda County’s most vulnerable residents and thank BACS for leadership with the St. Regis.”

“Hayward is beyond excited to welcome this much-needed resource to the community. St. Regis will fill a missing gap in the system of care by providing a campus of services designed to wholistically serve those who are experiencing homelessness, mental health, and substance use disorders. This is a win for the system of care, the community, and the region, and we hope this serves as a model for other communities to replicate,” says Hayward Mayor Mark Salinas.

The St. Regis project is still in development while the site undergoes rehabilitation to be a state-of-the-art community mental health, recuperative care, and supportive housing site, representing a critical and innovative step towards ensuring that thousands of individuals in the County receive the mental health treatment and supportive housing they deserve. By investing in housing justice and behavioral health services, the St. Regis project is an important milestone in addressing the homelessness crisis and advancing equity in our community.

About Bay Area Community Services

Bay Area Community Services (BACS) breaks the mental health, housing, and community barriers that hold people back. BACS’ mission is to uplift under-served individuals and their families by doing “whatever it takes.” BACS helps people experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, or behavioral health challenges, while balancing other complications like health needs, substance use, generational trauma, incarceration, poverty, and more. Since its founding in 1953, BACS has steadily grown throughout Northern and Central California, integrating nearly seven decades of behavioral health expertise with our Housing First philosophy to meet the rising needs of communities. To support the St. Regis’ transformation or BACS’ behavioral health and housing solutions, visit www.bayareacs.org/donate

About Alameda County Health Care Services Agency 

The Health Care Services Agency (HCSA) is the local health jurisdiction (LHJ) for Alameda County, the seventh most diverse county in the nation. With a total area of more than 800 square miles and a population of 1.5 million residents, Alameda County encompasses urban, suburban, and rural geographic areas as well as a large unincorporated area, for which County agencies have jurisdictional responsibility. HCSA holds responsibility for various state and federal health mandates operated through the departments of Behavioral Health, Environmental Health, Office of the Agency Director, and Public Health. HCSA programs include Emergency Medical Services, the Office of Homeless Care and Coordination, the Center for Healthy Schools and Communities, and Health Program of Alameda County providing affordable health care to uninsured people living in Alameda County. HCSA serves as the County’s health authority which includes response to the COVID-19 pandemic under the direction of the County Health Officer. HCSA operates within the largest annual budget in the County of $1.08B and employs more than 1,800 people.