Bay Area Community Services (BACS)

Supporting People, Supporting Community

Media Advisory: BACS Awarded $32 Million to Build State-of-the-Art Behavioral Health Center in Alameda County

Hayward, CA, May 12 – Bay Area Community Services (BACS) is thrilled to announce a $32 million award from the State of California to build the Waypoint Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (Waypoint MHRC) — a groundbreaking new facility that will dramatically expand intensive mental health care in Alameda County.

Funded by the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP), this award is part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s historic commitment to overhaul California’s behavioral health system. Administered by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) in partnership with Advocates for Human Potential (AHP), BHCIP invests in ready-to-launch projects that create real alternatives to jails, emergency rooms, and homelessness. The Waypoint MHRC award comes from BHCIP’s Round 1 “Launch Ready” funding, which supports projects that are prepared to break ground and expand behavioral health infrastructure across the state. Alameda County and the City of Hayward are major partners in this award and it would not be possible without their leadership.

“Thanks to Governor Newsom and our state leaders, this investment will help thousands of Californians break out of crisis and into recovery,” said Jovan Yglecias, Chief Operating Officer at BACS. “Waypoint MHRC will be a place of healing and safety for people with the most complex needs — people who have been left out of the system for too long. This is what it means to build hope.”

Waypoint MHRC will bring at least 83 beds of secure, recovery-focused mental health treatment to Hayward, offering life-changing services in a purpose-built campus designed for healing, dignity, and hope.

The need is urgent. Fewer than one-third of California counties currently have an MHRC. A 2022 statewide needs assessment identified MHRCs as one of the most critically lacking services. Alameda County — one of the hardest-hit regions in the state — has among the longest psychiatric hospital stays and highest rates of 5150s (involuntary holds), with far too many individuals cycling between jails, emergency departments, and the streets because they cannot access the intensive support they need.

Waypoint MHRC will change that. The new center will offer a full continuum of services, including onsite psychiatric and medical care, medication management, individual and group therapy, expressive arts, wellness and recreational activities, and nutritious meals — all within a secure, trauma-informed environment.

“This is a game-changer for mental health care in our region,” said Nora Daly, Chief Development Officer at BACS. “Too many people are bouncing between jails, emergency rooms, and the streets — without real options for recovery. Waypoint MHRC breaks that cycle by filling a critical gap in our system with dignified, community-based care for people who’ve been overlooked for far too long.”

This project builds on deep partnerships with the City of Hayward and Alameda County, and it complements BACS’ nearby REGIS Village, which offers housing, respite care, outpatient services, a medical detox center, and more. Together, these campuses will offer seamless step-up and step-down behavioral health services, creating a true continuum of care.

“We’re proud to be partnering with the State, Alameda County, and the City of Hayward to create a model of compassionate, high-quality mental health treatment,” said Benjamin Blake, Interim CEO at BACS. “Waypoint is more than a building — it’s a lifeline.”

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 individuals, families, and communities 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 more than seven decades of behavioral health expertise with our Housing First philosophy to meet the rising needs of communities. To learn more, go to www.bayareacs.org

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CONTACT INFORMATION

Bay Area Community Services (BACS)

Nora Daly, Chief Development Officer

510-394-3519 |  ndaly@bayareacs.org

Fremont City Council: Reject Plan to Ban Encampments and Criminalize Homelessness

Abode Services, Bay Area Community Services, and Fremont for Everyone Urge Fremont City Council to Reject Plan to Ban Encampments and Criminalize Homelessness
Leaders of local nonprofits and community groups together urge Fremont leaders to reject the proposed ban on camping and storage of personal property on public land, criminalizing poverty and allowing authorities to sweep encampments of people experiencing homelessness.

FREMONT – Local nonprofit groups that partner with Fremont to end homelessness are strongly urging the Fremont City Council to reject the proposed ban on encampments which as written would criminalize homelessness, increase public costs of enforcement, and do nothing to offer real solutions to the issue.

Abode Services and Bay Area Community Services (BACS), which provide services and resources in Fremont as part of our collective mission to end homelessness, have joined the community group, Fremont for Everyone, to condemn the city’s policy change. The organizations obviously agree that having people live outside, unsheltered from the elements, is far from ideal; indeed, they work diligently to solve that problem.

However, empowering police to fine or even arrest people just for experiencing homelessness is foolhardy and cruel, and sweeping encampments without offering folks another place to go is a policy destined to fail. It is wholly ineffective and a terrible use of our civic resources, which will not benefit home and business owners.

In addition, the coty has failed to attempt any collaboration with experts and their own providers of outreach, shelter, and housing services in the community before proposing the ban. Abode, BACS, and Fremont for Everyone are here to help solve the problem, collaborate, and support Fremont’s housed and unhoused communities with dignity.

“Garbage and debris get swept; in a truly civilized society, human beings are not,” said Vivian Wan, CEO of Abode Services. “In a just society that reflects the best values of Fremont and the Bay Area, human beings are treated with compassion and we partner to solve community challenges. We don’t blame and further traumatize those most impacted by the housing affordability crisis. The solution to homelessness is a home coupled with services, combined with humanity and empathy – not cruelty.”

What is most disheartening is that the proposal does not address the core problem.

Fremont has had a 21-percent decline in homelessness since 2022 – a more successful rate than neighboring Bay Area communities. That positive result stems in part from BACS’ erecting the Fremont Navigation Center and expanding services at the Fremont Wellness and Housing Center, as well as Abode expanding more housing and services at new Fremont affordable housing sites such as Doug Ford Senior Apartments and City Center Apartments. But rather than celebrating its improvement by building on those sustainable, ongoing solutions, Fremont’s City Council instead has inched closer to approving an ordinance that would merely punish people for their poverty.

We can do better.

“Since data shows we can solve homelessness effectively without such an inhumane measure, we are deeply concerned that the city is choosing to move backwards instead of forward,” said Jamie Almanza, CEO of Bay Area Community Services. “This proposal solves nothing – it seeks to make the problem invisible instead of better. We are sacrificing true progress of the evidence-based models such as street outreach, Keep People Housed℠, targeted interim housing, permanent housing, and permanent supportive housing for the appearance of progress at a higher cost.”

The City of Fremont supports about 110 year-round shelter beds, but has six times more people experiencing homelessness as there are beds to accommodate them. More enforcement will just move people around, creating community costs for both those experiencing homelessness and the neighborhoods of Fremont. Resources would be better spent deploying real solutions and partnering with providers to truly end homelessness.

Our stance on the issue of sweeping encampments is clear:

  • Homelessness is not a crime; it is a crisis – one that is a result of systemic failures that have produced fewer than 24 affordable units for every 100 people who need them.
  • In the Bay Area, some would have to earn as much as $78 per hour to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment. (For low-wage workers, that would mean working up to five full-time minimum-wage jobs.)
  • Criminalizing homelessness is wrong. It is cruel, ineffective, and costly.
  • It also worsens cycles of homelessness and makes it more difficult to find real solutions.
  • Data shows that the number one cause of homelessness (besides poverty) is whether someone has been homeless before.

“Fremont For Everyone has supported the city’s Housing Navigation Center, participated in strengthening the newly certified housing element that provides more affordable housing, and applauded Fremont’s adoption just months ago of the Homelessness Response Plan,” said David Bonaccorsi, member of Fremont for Everyone and a former city councilmember. “Fremont can do better and, for these reasons, Fremont is already doing better.”

A number of mayors and city councils nationwide have supported a more compassionate, humane approach, displaying genuine leadership and social courage to – in the words of one East Coast mayor – “protect those that really need our protection and support.”

We are calling for Fremont’s mayor and council members to do the same: to reject the ineffective citywide camping ban on public property, and instead work with BACS, Abode, and other agencies to maintain the progress made without this policy – to reduce homelessness without increasing the public cost and personal harm of policing people who have no other choice.

We urge Fremont to do the right thing – which would yield the most effective results toward truly ending homelessness in this community.

About Abode

Established in 1989, Abode’s mission is to end homelessness. Abode’s family of agencies now include Abode Services, Abode Property Management, and Abode Housing Development. Those entities work together in Alameda, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Napa, and Solano counties, combining housing and services to assist homeless families and individuals in establishing stability and independence. Abode has provided homes to 12,934 adults and children since 2020. Last year, Abode assisted 16,758 people and ensured that on any given night 8,652 people slept in a home rather than on the street. To learn more, visit www.abode.org.About

Bay Area Community Services

Bay Area Community Services (BACS) breaks the behavioral health, housing, and community barriers that hold people back. BACS’ mission is to uplift individuals, families, and communities 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 more than seven decades of behavioral health expertise with our Housing First philosophy to meet the rising needs of communities. To learn more, go to www.bayareacs.org.

About Fremont for Everyone

Fremont for Everyone advocates for inclusive, affordable housing for our residents, and ensures Fremont is welcoming of new neighbors, while remaining a wonderful community for living closer to work, raising a family, and aging in place – a home for everyone. To learn more, visit www.fremontforeveryone.com

BACS Secures Over $2.8 Million to Expand Housing Solutions in Yolo County

Yolo County, CA – Bay Area Community Services (BACS) is excited to announce a major expansion to our new services in partnership with Yolo County, made possible through the approval of a $2.8 million subaward from the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). This funding, sourced from the Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP) and Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (HHAP) Round 4, will be used to acquire and develop residential properties to serve individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

“We are honored to expand our impact into Yolo County and bring much-needed housing stability to its residents,” said Jamie Almanza, CEO of BACS. “This investment will directly address the critical shortage of housing for those who are struggling and provide supportive services that can change lives.”

This, combined with our recent Connections to Care or C2C program, marks BACS’ first entry into Yolo County, adding to a decade of growth and partnerships across the Bay Area and beyond. In the last ten years, BACS has launched partnerships in five new counties, responding to the need for comprehensive, integrated behavioral health and housing solutions in local communities. With a proven track record of creating successful, sustainable programs, BACS is committed to addressing the complex challenges of homelessness and behavioral health with tailored support that meets the unique needs of each community.

The approved agreement will support the acquisition and development of properties that offer safe, permanent housing for a minimum of ten years. BACS will offer a comprehensive suite of services to help residents not just secure housing but maintain it successfully. These services include:

  • Housing Support & Independent Living Skills: Matching individuals with homes and providing the skills needed to live independently.
  • Case Management: Offering wraparound support, such as benefits advocacy, employment readiness, and crisis navigation.
  • Substance Use Support & Behavioral Health Referrals: Connecting residents with resources to support their journey to wellness.

This expansion aligns with BACS’ commitment to its mission of doing “whatever it takes” to uplift individuals and families while providing them with pathways to sustainable housing and independence. In 2023 alone, BACS helped 2,820 households remain housed and supported over 3,100 individuals with behavioral health crisis services.

“Stable housing is foundational to a thriving community,” Almanza added. “By expanding our footprint in Yolo County, we are taking a significant step towards ending the cycle of homelessness and building a more equitable future for all.”

With over 300 housing units already owned and operated across the Bay Area, BACS has proven expertise in transforming properties into safe, affordable homes that residents can rely on long-term. The newly acquired properties in Yolo County will add to this growing inventory and offer new opportunities for community members in need.

“Yolo County is so excited to partner with such an innovative and collaborative group like Bay Area Community Services. We are very excited to launch our initial pilot to house dozens of those in need in our community. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship that will produce serious results for the housing insecure in our region.” Said Nolan Sullivan, Yolo County HHSA Director.

For more information on this initiative and other BACS programs, please contact Nora Daly, Development Director at ndaly@bayareacs.org.

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 individuals, families, and communities 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 more than seven decades of behavioral health expertise with our Housing First philosophy to meet the rising needs of communities. To learn more, go to www.bayareacs.org

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Wells Fargo Supports Community Initiative to Prevent Homelessness in Contra Costa County

BACS’ Keep People Housed initiative expands services through partnership

BAY POINT, CA – On October 17, 2024, Bay Area Community Services (BACS) will host the Contra Costa Community Connect Prevention & Resource Fair, presented by Wells Fargo, at 3105 Willow Pass Rd, Bay Point, CA 94565, from noon to 3 p.m. The fair will provide essential resources for community members, with services ranging from housing navigation and homelessness prevention to legal assistance, behavioral health support, food distribution, raffles, and more.

With the support of a generous grant of over $200,000 from Wells Fargo, BACS and its network of community partners are working to prevent homelessness and displacement throughout Contra Costa County through the Keep People Housed – Contra Costa County initiative. The fair will serve as a cornerstone event, bringing together local organizations to offer a variety of services and resources aimed at empowering and supporting the community.

BACS co-founded Keep People Housed in Oakland in 2018 as Keep Oakland Housed, providing emergency financial assistance, supportive services, and legal assistance to people on the verge of homelessness. Since then, our Keep People Housed programs have made a massive impact on the community:

  • Served 8,600+ households
  • Distributed $67 million in financial assistance
  • Provided legal services to 2,390 households

“Through this collaboration with Wells Fargo, we are able to take concrete steps to keep people housed and provide the resources they need to thrive,” said Logan McDonnell, Director of Keep People Housed at BACS. “This event is an important opportunity for us to directly engage with our community and connect individuals with critical services that can help them avoid homelessness and navigate housing challenges.”

“A quality place to call home is something everyone should have,” said Chris Adame, Lead Community Impact and Sustainability Specialist of Wells Fargo. “That’s why Wells Fargo is proud to donate more than $200,000 to the Keep People Housed initiative in Contra Costa County to prevent homelessness and provide much-needed resources to the community.”

Event Details:

  • Date: October 17, 2024
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Location: 3105 Willow Pass Rd, Bay Point, CA 94565
  • Contact: For questions, please reach out to communityengagement@bayareacs.org.

Elected officials and media representatives are encouraged to attend. Join us as we work together to strengthen our community and create lasting solutions to prevent homelessness.

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 individuals, families, and communities 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 more than seven decades of behavioral health expertise with our Housing First philosophy to meet the rising needs of communities. To learn more, go to www.bayareacs.org

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CONTACT INFORMATION

Bay Area Community Services (BACS)

Qimmah Hameed

Director of Community Engagement

communityengagement@bayareacs.org

Homelessness Advocates Respond to Calls for Ineffective, Shortsighted Measures

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2024

Press Contact: Edie Irons, eirons@allhomeca.org, 415-275-2060

[San Francisco, CA] – Homelessness experts and advocates are pushing back against recent remarks by Governor Newsom and other political leaders following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Grants Pass v. Johnson. Politicians’ calls to remove encampments without providing safe, stable places for people to go distract public attention from the real solutions supported by experts and evidence: more affordable homes, preventing homelessness before it happens, and quality interim (non-congregate) housing options.

“To reduce homelessness in the Bay Area, we must focus on compassionate and proven solutions that work,” said Brett Andrews, Interim Chief Executive of All Home. “Moving people along, separating them from their belongings, potentially charging them with a crime or issuing a fine, only makes it harder for them to get housed. A home is what solves homelessness—punishing people for not having a home makes the problem worse.”

All Home’s recent Regional Action Plan projections show that the Bay Area can dramatically reduce by expanding three solutions at the same time: prevent homelessness before it happens; create more non-congregate, dignified interim housing options where people can stabilize as they get connected to a permanent home; and create more permanent housing that is available and affordable to residents with low incomes.

“Talking tough on homelessness during an election year harms real efforts to solve the problem,” said Jamie Almanza, CEO of Bay Area Community Services (BACS). “The Newsom administration has actually done more than most to invest in meaningful solutions to homelessness, and many local governments and nonprofits are using those funds to deal with homelessness strategically – including BACS, adding almost 1,000 new units of housing in the Bay Area. But our leaders need to do the work to build truly effective homelessness response systems and explain those systems to their constituents. We need to work together to see visible, lasting results and not get distracted by the expensive and ineffective solutions that are now back on the table. We all want change, but removing encampments without providing housing and services will not get us there.”

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