Bay Area Community Services (BACS) and the Shared Housing Institute proudly hosted the National Shared Housing Conference in Oakland, bringing together housing professionals, service providers, advocates, researchers, and community leaders from across the country.

Over two days of learning, collaboration, and meaningful discussion, attendees explored innovative shared housing models, best practices, policy considerations, and strategies to expand housing opportunities for individuals facing housing instability. The conference created space for both national perspectives and local solutions, reinforcing the importance of shared housing as a powerful tool in addressing our housing crisis.

We are incredibly grateful to our speakers, panelists, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and attendees who contributed their knowledge, experience, and passion to making this event a success. The conversations, connections, and ideas exchanged throughout the conference demonstrated the impact that can be achieved when organizations come together with a shared commitment to housing equity and innovation.

A special thank you to everyone who traveled from near and far to join us. Your engagement and dedication continue to move this work forward.

We look forward to building on the momentum created during these two inspiring days and continuing to advance shared housing solutions that strengthen communities and create pathways to stable housing for all.

We are excited to continue this journey together through the upcoming six-month curriculum, where we will deepen our learning, strengthen partnerships, and further advance innovative shared housing practices.

BACS acquired a former retirement center in Hayward with a bold vision: to build a one-of-a-kind campus of care for the most vulnerable Californians. This week, that vision was on full display when state and local leaders visited.

REGIS Village – Recovery, Empowerment, Growth, Innovation and Support – is now home to 114 residents across two fully operational programs. Seventy permanent supportive housing residents, each with their own lock and their own key, now call REGIS Village home. Forty-four individuals in Behavioral Health Bridge Housing are stabilizing, receiving wraparound services, and moving toward permanent housing pathways.

“The goal is straightforward: people move indoors quickly, they stabilize, we connect them to long-term housing and recovery pathways,” said Qimmah Hameed, VP of Community Engagement at BACS. “These first two models, 114 units total, are already operational. We did not wait for full renovation. We implemented a phased construction plan with our contractors so that each wing, as they are completed, can bring people inside without delay. That is efficiency – that is urgency – and that is impact.”

Built Fast. Built Right. Built for People.

If REGIS Village looks like a construction site in places, that is because it still is – and that is exactly the point. Renovations continue while residents are already living here. On such a bold vision, BACS knew we needed to deliver immediately. On such a big campus, we knew that we could have one wing complete and moved in before starting the next one, without disturbing residents or compromising quality care.

In the next four months, the remaining phases of REGIS Village will come online, adding:

• Medical respite: 40 units for unhoused individuals stepping down from a hospital stay, so recovery happens indoors, not on the streets.
• Sobering and stabilization: A center where a dozen individuals at a time can receive medication assisted detox from drugs and alcohol, serving over 3,000 individuals annually.
• Specialized detox: 20 beds for those who need an additional seven days of detox support.
• Substance use residential treatment: 40 beds for individuals who need up to six months of care as they progress in recovery.
• Wellness and urgent care: A center where up to 40 individuals per day can receive support to avoid unnecessary institutional care.
• Interim wraparound housing: 44 units for Hayward’s unhoused neighbors, with services focused on increasing income and accelerating exits to permanent housing to prevent cycling back into homelessness.

Every intervention at REGIS Village is evidence-based, built on years of expertise, and designed to meet people where they are. When complete, the campus will offer more than 200 residential beds alongside medical, behavioral health, substance use, and wraparound services, all on one 4.13-acre campus in Hayward.

As Hameed put it: “What we do at BACS is this very work. It is right. It is needed. It is now.”

You can watch the full announcement on Youtube and see REGIS Village take center stage.

Originally featured on KALW Public Media’s Your Call with Rose Aguilar. Listen to the full conversation: KALW Your Call – December 16, 2025

This morning on KALW Public Media’s Your Call, our Regional Vice President Logan McDonnell joined Peter Manzo, President & CEO of the United Ways of California, for an urgent conversation about California’s historic affordability crisis and the resources available to help our neighbors in need.

The Reality We’re Facing

The statistics are sobering. Nearly half of Americans report finding groceries, utility bills, healthcare, housing, and transportation difficult to afford, according to a recent Politico poll. The consequences are devastating:

• 27% of those surveyed skipped a medical checkup due to costs
• 23% skipped filling prescriptions they needed
• Almost 70% of Americans report struggling with the cost of living overall

Here in California, the situation is particularly acute. One in three households cannot afford to honor their basic needs, according to United Ways of California research. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but the gap between wages and costs continues to widen at an alarming rate, leading to an increase in people working full time who still cannot afford housing.

Resources Available Right Now

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Here are the key resources Logan shared during the show:

Call 2-1-1 for Immediate Help

Dial 2-1-1 from any phone for quick access to resources and matching with the best available assistance for your situation. This free, confidential service can connect you with:

• Food assistance
• Housing support
• Utility payment help
• Healthcare resources
• Mental health services
• And much more

Visit BACS for In-Person Support

Find your nearest BACS location at https://bayareacs.org/get-help/. Search by county to discover where you can access:

• Hot meals served with dignity and respect
• Behavioral health support
• Housing assistance and navigation
• A caring, supportive community
• Connection to additional resources

Our doors are open, and you are welcome here.

Want to Help Others This Holiday Season?

If you’re fortunate enough not to need assistance, please consider supporting those who do, especially during the holidays. Your donation directly supports:

• Meals for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity
• Mental health and substance use treatment services
• Housing placement and stabilization
• Wraparound support services that help people rebuild their lives

Make a difference today: www.bayareacs.org/donate

Looking Forward with Hope

While the challenges are significant, there is reason for hope. Organizations like BACS and United Ways of California, along with countless community partners, are working every day to bridge the gap between crisis and stability. We know what works: housing first approaches, comprehensive wraparound services, living wages, and accessible healthcare.

What we need now is the collective will to scale these solutions and the policy changes to address root causes, not just symptoms.

No one should have to choose between groceries and medication, between rent and heating, between survival and dignity. Together, we can build a California where everyone has what they need to thrive.

Listen to the full conversation: KALW Your Call – December 16, 2025

About Logan McDonnell: Logan McDonnell serves as Regional Vice President for Bay Area Community Services (BACS), where he oversees programs serving over 1,000 people in Alameda County. He also serves as a board member for 100 Black Men of the Bay Area